Northern Ireland Regions’ Cup manager Harry McConkey says that he will be looking to the Fermanagh and Western League for potential players after the Western Region beat the Eastern Region to earn the right to represent Northern Ireland in the 2016/2017 UEFA Regions Cup.
Leading 4-3 from the first leg at Holm Park, Armagh, Western withstood a determined Eastern Region in the second leg at Mill Meadow, Castledawson.
The Eastern Region pressed hard from the off but they were either off target or denied by some great goalkeeping by the Western Region’s goalkeepers, each of whom played 45 minutes.
The woodwork also thwarted them but it was Trevor Parkhill who cemented the Western Regions place in the UEFA Regions Cup when he fired in a low shot on 67 minutes to secure a 5-3 win on aggregate.
And with that decided McConkey states that he will be focusing on getting the best players involved for the trip to Moldova in November.
“ I now have to concentrate and scour the local Fermanagh and Western leagues as well as the North West Leagues for players who I feel can be on the plane to Moldova in November. It will be a tough assignment for the boys when they face Switzerland, Turkey and Moldova over a six day period,” said McConkey.
“This will be a whole new adventure for the West lads but I am very proud to lead a squad of 18 players from my own part of the province having lead the East Region to The UEFA Qualifying Rounds and beyond five times in the last 10 years.
“The 2016 -17 UEFA Regions Cup is a real challenge for not only the players but also myself and Gerald Boyle my coach who teaches P.E. in Holy Cross School in Strabane. Boyler has a great knowledge of young players in the North West and indeed several of his past pupils starred in the West Region side last Wednesday night,” McConkey added.