THIRTY-three years after facing Devenish as a player in the Ulster Club Championship, John McNulty is hoping to lead the club to to the provincial stage as manager.

The Kilcar man first crossed paths with Devenish in 1993 and he admits it would have been difficult to imagine then that he would one day be managing the club in a county final.

“If you’d told me back in 1993, when I played against Devenish in the Ulster Club Championship, that I’d one day be managing them, I’d have found it hard to believe,” McNulty told the ‘Herald.

Now, with Devenish preparing to face Kinawley, McNulty is relishing the occasion and the opportunity to help the club take another step forward.

“Everybody is looking forward to it. It’s always a great occasion and the boys really enjoy it,” he said.

McNulty has worked hard to develop the team’s style of play since taking charge, with the demands of Division One football providing a valuable test.

The experience has helped Devenish learn and improve ahead of the championship.

“It takes a wee while to get a team playing the way you want them to play, but the response from the players has been good,” McNulty said.

“We worked on a lot of things and Division One was a big test for us. We were trying to learn from that and get results and it was a good learning curve ahead of the championship.”

Focused on the task at hand

Despite Devenish being widely regarded as favourites, McNulty knows reputations count for little once the ball is thrown in.

“It’s very easy to say what you expect, but reality is often different. You have to work hard. People putting you down as favourites means nothing. You have to earn it by how you perform.

“That’s what we’ve been about and thankfully we’ve got to the final.”

A key strength for Devenish has been the depth of their squad, with a panel of 39 players providing competition for places and a healthy blend of youth and experience.

“We have a good mixture of youth and experience, and with a panel of 39, training has been good,” McNulty said.

“It’s great to see the young lads learning from the older players. They all get on very well.”

The return of Fionán O’Brien has also provided a significant boost.

The talented player endured a frustrating spell with injury, including an operation and a lengthy rehabilitation period, but he has worked hard to get back on the field.

“He’s a top-class lad. He was unfortunate with the injuries, but he did everything to get back. It’s a testament to the type of character he is, and he’s a massive boost to the team,” McNulty said.

McNulty was also keen to recognise the contribution of his management team.

“I’m very appreciative of them all,” said the Devenish boss.

“It’s been a long season since January, training three times a week in the off-season and there are plenty of roles for everybody.”

Top sharp-shooters

In attack, Cian O’Brien has been a major threat, with his semi-final display underlining the value of having a consistent scorer in the forward line.

McNulty believes the player’s form is a reflection of his commitment and ambition.

“That’s down to the work he puts in himself. He’s playing well and that’s credit to him,” he added.

“He puts a big effort into training and wants to push himself on and establish himself in the county team.

“He played very well in the semi-final and it’s hard to beat having a scoring forward like Cian.”