For the second successive campaign Harry McConkey has led the Northern Ireland Regions Cup squad to the finals of the UEFA Regions Cup competition, the Eastern Region coming through their recent qualifying group in Moldova to reach their third ever finals at this level. Their first being in 2007 in Bulgaria when McConkey had Fred Cleary as his coach.

The Northern Ireland team had been drawn in a group along with teams from Moldova, Ukraine and Spain with wins over Alf Telenesti (Moldova) and Piatykhatska (Ukraine) setting up a decisive clash against a highly rated Seleccion Catalana from Spain to see who would qualify for the finals.

Indeed, not only were the Spanish side strongly fancied to advance from the group, they were the favourites to win the entire tournament but McConkey’s boys produced a superb performance, full of heart and character to secure their place in the finals which will take place next year.

“We played with not just big hearts but also sensible heads,” said McConkey after the 1-0 defeat of Selección Catalana that took his team into the finals.

“This is a fantastic victory and we are delighted because we have claimed the scalp of such formidable opponents. Catalonia played well, and our guys were a little nervous in the opening minutes but we settled and scored a superb goal and then my players showed tremendous discipline and character to see them over the line. This is a massive win for our very small region,” he said.

McConkey was very impressed with the facilities for the players on their arrival in Moldova for the group stages.

“We were based at a place which would the equivalent of The English FA’s St. George’s Park and it was completely purpose built. It was a security guarded compound with hotel type accommodation and all the facilities you would need to deliver excellence. There was a match stadium, quality grass pitches, a 4G pitch, recovery pool, top physio rehabilitation rooms and lecture theatre style meeting rooms. We embraced the whole experience in Moldova and the organisation by UEFA was at a high level,” he commented.

The opening game against the hosts saw Eastern Region get off to a flying start as they raced into a 2-0 lead only to suffer a set back when they were reduced to ten men with the dismissal of goalkeeper Brian Neeson and from the resultant penalty the home outfit scored to leave it 2-1 at the break.

However, Northern Ireland made light of being a man short to find the net three times in the second half to record a 5-1 victory.

“At half-time we stressed to the players to focus on all the positives taken from the first half and to put the sending off to the back of their minds. We changed our shape to a 4-4-1 formation and asked the players to be composed and continue in the same manner as we had been before being reduced to ten men.

“We then went out and scored three quality goals in the second half, at key times, while always working tirelessly for each other,” he said.

This victory was followed by a 4-0 win over the side from Ukraine with McConkey praising his players determination to followiNG through with the game plan: “The players deserved so much credit as they carried out the game plan to perfection and scored from a set play we had worked on in the stadium the evening before.” It was then on to the meeting with the dangerous Spanish side who went into the game having scored 14 goals and conceded none in their two group games.

“The Spanish played a very controlled possession game but I knew we were always dangerous on the counter attack. The plan was to defend our middle third aggressively, nap the ball and get a threat on goal. We got a real quality goal in the ninth minute, probably too early to be honest, but I knew we would be very hard to breakdown and that is how it turned out in the end. Our goalkeeper Brian Neeson was exceptional in the dying minutes as Spain threw everything at us. Toni the Spanish manager was shocked but most humble in defeat and praised the goal, our passion and group energy.” said McConkey.

The qualification was tinged with sadness though for McConkey who just prior to that final game against Seleccion Catalana learned of the death of eight year old, Shayne Magee, who had been a popular pupil at Willowbridge School where Harry teaches.

“I received a text from my Principal on the bus to the game informing me of Shayne’s sudden passing. I kept it to myself until after the game, and as I always do - win lose or draw - I try to put a perspective on a performance for my players and what it means. Here we had an ecstatic bunch of young men who were celebrating wildly in our changing room, eventually I sought silence, thanked them for their incredible efforts and then asked them to think of Shayne and his family and told them we would dedicate the win v Spain to Shayne. It truly does put all our sporting performances in perspective.” The Eastern Region have joined teams from Germany, Poland and Bosnia in qualifying for the finals with another four groups still to be completed before December.

“In January UEFA will request bids from the eight countries to host it. Having been to the finals before it will help with our preparation. We know what to expect and the Spanish game showed the lads the level of performance that is required to count at all in the finals. We will yet again enjoy and embrace that challenge when it comes around in June 2015,” said a delighted McConkey.