BY TOMMY NETHERY
AS a player Dergview boss David McAskie once faced the mighty Glens in the fifth round of the prestigious Irish Cup while captaining Ballinamallard United in the early nineties. It was the highlight of an extended and illustrious playing career and it's one that he would love to repeat as a manager.
On Saturday, the Castlederg club begin their annual quest to reach that lucrative fifth round when they travel to take on Mid-Ulster Intermediate League 1A opponents, Laurelvale in a first round preliminary fixture at Portadown. Over the past two seasons the Irish League Second Division outfit have made shock early exits and McAskie is anxious that his new-look side clear the first hurdle this time around.
With a full strength squad to pick from, apart from long-term injury absentees Barry Devenney and Andrew Sproule, McAskie is confident yet mindful that his charges can negotiate a potential banana skin in Portadown.
"As Dergview have found out to their cost in recent years Irish League First and Second Division sides are in a no-win situation in the opening rounds," said the Derg supremo. "Junior and intermediate teams consider the likes of Dergview as a supposedly big fish in a small pond and they see it as the perfect opportunity to cause a major upset.
"It's a tricky fixture and given our opponents have home advantage we will need to be wary of the challenge. We can't afford to be complacent and must be fully focused on the task at hand."
Dergview go into the game having completed their Carnegie League Cup Group B campaign with a meaningless match against Tobermore United under lights at Youth Sport Omagh on Tuesday night.
McAskie and assistant Gary Mortland used the cup competition as an opportunity to cast an eye over their entire squad of players in a competitive environment. And although the management double act see the league campaign as their number one objective in the weeks and months ahead, McAskie would relish the opportunity to play one of the big guns in the latter rounds of the JJB Irish Cup.
"It's every junior player and club's dream to reach round five and to be paired with a Irish Premier League side. To have the opportunity to put your club in the limelight for one or two matches against the likes of Linfield or Glentoran would be a massive boost.
"Clubs at Dergview's level and downwards are always crying out for high-profile exposure. Few, if any, Irish League First or Second Division clubs have the capability to go all the way in the premier cup tournament, however it would be great if this was the year Dergview had their moment in the sun.
"That's the dream but the reality is that we have to get past Laurelvale and negotiate a number of other hurdles before we can dream of being paired with one of the big boys.
"While the league remains our priority, a plum tie against one of the best teams in the country at some point down the line is the sort of distraction we could handle!"
DERGVIEW..........................................1
TOBERMORE UN ITED..........................4
ON Tuesday night Dergview wrapped up their Carnegie League Cup campaign with a 4-1 defeat to Tobermore United in a meaningless encounter under lights at Youth Sport Omagh.
A reshuffled Derg side looked the sharper in the first half but, after Aaron Walsh and Richard Lecky both went close twice, it was the Co Derry visitors who opened the scoring 12 minutes into the second period.
Striker John McLaughlin played the ball through a pedestrian home defence and Jonathan Young ran through to apply the finish.
Within two minutes Dergview had restored parity. Skipper David Burke whipped over a left wing cross following a clever pass from Walsh and Lecky was on hand to volley home from close range.
Buoyed by their equaliser the homesters upped the ante as Ryan Pritchard almost picked out Lecky with sublime delivery while Gareth Porter's 30 yard pile-driver was safely gathered in by goalkeeper Kyle Hassan.
That through was as good as it got for David McAskie's charges as the visitors scored three times in the final 15 minutes to put a real gloss on the scoreline.
Substitute Gavin Doherty pounced from close range to make it 2-1 before centre forward McLaughlin netted twice in three minutes, his second a crisp volley, to seal the points.
