Edenderry and Orchard County pupils secured double delight in the Northern Ireland seven-a-side finals on Friday.
The national silverware serves as confirmation of progress by Mid-Ulster Schools’ Football Association sides since a switch to the seven-a-side format.
The seven-a-side blueprint was introduced by the Irish Football Association to aid grassroots development,
“What a day for Portadown and Mid-Ulster schools’ football,” said Orchard County’s Stephen Blevins, a MUSFA primary regional squad coach alongside Edenderry’s Peter Mullan. “Talented groups come along very rarely and it’s a privilege to watch them fulfil their potential on the biggest stage.
“I’m genuinely not surprised by such a positive outcome as this district has embraced the IFA small-sided games philosophy and, as a result, we have witnessed a definite increase in the number of local primary school players displaying significantly improved technique and confidence.”
Full report on page 59
