STRABANE COUP AS MOONEY JOINS

Strabane have pulled off a major coup with the signing of former Irish international John Mooney. The 42 year-old won 182 caps for Ireland between 2001 and 2015, playing in three World Cups, and famously hitting the winning runs against England in Bangalore.

A spokesperson for the Strabane club confirmed the signing this week and said they expected the former Ireland International to be at Saturday's home game against St Johnston.

"We're delighted that John has agreed to take on the role of Director of coaching at the club. We have been trying for some time now to identify someone with the quality and experience to improve players at all levels at the club. We've obviously spoken with John a lot over the past few months and have been really impressed with the vision he will bring to the role.

"This is part of a long-term development plan, and while John will also be registered as a player, it's a chance for him to see the club first hand and to see if this is something that is a good fit for both parties.

"He has a wealth of experience and knows the Irish game inside out and we're looking forward to welcoming him to the Park."

Strabane lost both their T20 games on Sunday, but they were without the services of overseas professional Nasir Nawaz, and with him and John Mooney on board, they will fancy their chances of a tilt at the Championship title.