Tyrone Courier - Sports - Teenage sensation O’Neill is living the dream

Sports

Teenage sensation O’Neill is living the dream

Wednesday, 11 January 2012

TYRONE'S teenage sensation Ronan O'Neill is living the dream, and looks set to become the county's next attacking superstar.
O'Neill is targeting Sunday's Casement Park clash with Antrim as the next step in his bid to nail down a regular place in Mickey Harte's side.
A goal with his very first touch made it a memorable debut for the Omagh youngster last weekend, when the Red Hands got their Power NI Dr McKenna Cup campaign off to a winning start with an eight points win over Queen's.
“When you're young, at my age, even at 15or 16, you always dream of playing for Tyrone," said O'Neill.
“Thankfully I have got the opportunity to play for Tyrone seniors at such an early age.
I'll take my chance with two hands."
The game was finely balanced, with the sides level midway through the second half when O'Neill, an All-Ireland minor winner in 2010, was sprung from the bench.
Within seconds, he had latched onto a breaking ball from Peter Harte's free kick and steered the ball last the QUB goalkeeper to spark a Red Hand revival.
“I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and thank God it went in. The goal did help us at the end, but it was a great team performance."
Now he's looking forward to getting some more game time against an Antrim side seeking a first win of the series following their defeat to Fermanagh.
“They will be out trying to get a win against us to try and get their campaign up and going.
“But we'll get focused again and try and get another two points on the board."
O'Neill was one of two debutants who were handed an opportunity to impress at Healy Park.
And he was fulsome in his praise of the other, 25-year-old Johnny Lafferty from the Urney club, who landed three points in his first inter-county outing.
“Johnny's a great player, he has a great left foot. He has been knocking on the door for a few years, but this time he is a lot more mature and I think this is the time for him to come through."
Tyrone appeared to be in deep trouble when the students went ahead early in the second half following Caolan Rafferty's goal.
“I think the goal was a wake-up call to us, and changes were made. The changes, with Niall McKenna coming on and Dermot Carlin driving at them made a big difference," said O'Neill.
“Queen's played very well. A few times in the first half, they carved us open, but big Justin (McMahon) had a great save. They were unlucky not to get a goal in the first half."
Meanwhile, GAA officials are busy preparing themselves for the introduction of match bans on a trial basis for 2012 from next month.
After being passed overwhelmingly by 92% delegates at last year's Annual Congress, the new suspensions will apply to this year's Allianz League and All-Ireland championships.
The most common four-week bans will now be replaced by one-game bans in the same code and at the same level with two-game suspensions replacing the old eight-week punishment.
“It's a far fairer system," said GAA director of games administration and player welfare Feargal McGill.
“It's a challenge now for us to implement it successfully and make it work with a mind to possibly extending it to the club game."
Repeat category I and II infractions carry two-game suspensions as opposed to the previous eight-week ban.
Time-based suspensions will remain in place for the more serious offences. "The three, six and 12-month bans are still there because they would be deemed adequate punishment for such infractions," explained McGill.
Any player who picks up a straight red card or a suspension in either of this year's All-Ireland finals will have to serve it in the 2013 Allianz League.
Magill continued: "Of course there will be the occasional hitch, but we have done a huge amount of homework on this so we are confident that it will go well.
“More than four years' work went into this before it was brought to Congress in April so a lot of thought has been put into it."
Meanwhile, Ulster Council secretary Danny Murphy has said banning orders need not apply to the GAA in Northern Ireland.
Assembly Justice Minister David Ford recently stated he would consider a request from either the association or the IRFU to extend banning orders to their games. The new power, which came into force on January 1, only applies to soccer and empowers the PSNI and the courts to prevent a person who has caused violence from attending another game in Northern Ireland for up to 10 years.
“The banning orders don't extend to the GAA for the simple reason that the GAA has its own rules in that area," said Murphy. "The government has the right to amend existing legislation but the banning orders are not available to the GAA.
“We were involved in discussions with the government on legislation relating to the Justice Bill of 2011 and also made a submission to the committee. The GAA basically had to accept some parts of the legislation apply to us. The use or misuse of alcohol in buses on the way to matches is one of them. But the banning orders do not apply."