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Naomh Conaill going to the well once more

Ciaran Thompson of Naomh Conaill in action against Cormac Daly of Castlerahan during the AIB Ulster GAA Football Senior Club Championship quarter-final at Kingspan Breffni, Cavan.

Ciaran Thompson of Naomh Conaill in action against Cormac Daly of Castlerahan during the AIB Ulster GAA Football Senior Club Championship quarter-final at Kingspan Breffni, Cavan.

By Michael Devlin

It’s a nicer situation for a manger to have two weeks, rather than a few days, to prepare his team for a crunch club championship game. No prizes for that assumption.

Naomh Conaill boss Martin Regan is thankful to have the adequate time to ready his squad for this weekend’s Ulster semi-final with Monaghan champions Clontibret.

However, that couldn’t be said for the club’s last round tie with Castlerahan, or indeed their Donegal decider with Gaoth Dobhair before that.

The Glenties side stacked up four games in just 14 days; three titanic tussles to eventually overcome the reigning Donegal and Ulster champions before dragging themselves out again three days later to begin their Ulster assault on away to the Cavan winners.

The gruelling schedule was as demanding mentally as well as physically, according to Regan.

“It’s a turnaround alright, compared to the last game. We are glad to get the two weeks, to get the bodies rested up and injuries cleared up.

“It was tough, tough from a management point of view as you were looking at different games, and you hadn’t much time to see things that were happening that you weren’t prepared for, and to correct those things.

“Players were also trying to get the bodies healed up and taking on information from us, so it was a lot. Between every game, it was very hectic.

“All the games were physical, and I suppose we were expecting that. Ourselves and Gaoth Dobhair would have had a lot of battles down through the years and they’re always physical games. There’s no inch asked or given between the two sides.”

Naomh Conaill manager Martin Regan.

Naomh Conaill manager Martin Regan.

Naomh Conaill’s trilogy with Gaoth Dobhair was separated by just one point in the end. Two extra-time encounters ended all square on consecutive weekends before the pair met for a third and final time on a Wednesday night to decide the fate of the cup. For the duration of the saga, Glenties town became engulfed in a football frenzy.

“The talk about the town would have been about football for the last few weeks, so you had that to deal with that as well,” says Regan. “Football just completely took over.”

“After the second replay we were out on the Wednesday night, so the bank holiday Monday was taken up with recovery, then we pulled in on Tuesday night to look at more videos and things and get more information on board. Wednesday was game day again, so it was nearly full-time football for a while.”

But what’s winning if you can’t savour it? Naomh Conaill’s joy at winning back the county title after four years, especially in the extraordinary circumstances, warranted a party in south-west Donegal town.

The players were given carte blanche to enjoy themselves in the following days, but while the Catlerahan game loomed at the end of the week, the due celebrations meant the proper processes of rest and recuperation were always going to fall by the wayside.

“Recovery did go out the window after the third Gaoth Dobhair game,” says Regan. “Championships are that hard won, especially in Donegal, there’s fierce competition between all the teams. There’s no point in winning a championship unless you can go out and celebrate and enjoy it.

“The first we thought of football again was the training on Friday evening. Boys were coming into Castlerahan with flu’s and cold’s and all the rest, it was a tough few days.

“At the same time, I’ve always said it, if you can’t enjoy it there’s no point in playing. Those boys worked awful hard for six or seven months to win the Donegal Championship, and I know you could maybe celebrate it a week later, but it’s not the same. You are on a buzz that night with the whole parish, so you have to enjoy the moment when it comes around, definitely.

“If we had lost that game in Cavan, you’d have definitely had regrets. You’d say that would have cost us the game, and it nearly did cost us the game. We came close to throwing that game away in the last few minutes.”

Naomh Conaill celebrate after beating Gaoth Dobhair after the second replay of the Dongeal SFC final.

Naomh Conaill celebrate after beating Gaoth Dobhair after the second replay of the Dongeal SFC final.

Naomh Conaill came into the Castlerahan game with injury doubts surrounding six key players, and Regan admits still not knowing what he was working with until the morning of the game.

“We went to Cavan that day really not knowing who we were starting with. Luckily five of those players were fit to start and they went on to give as much as they could for as long as they could, and that helped us in that we had close to our strongest team out.”

Despite the arduous pre-match activity, Glenties stormed out of the blocks at Kingspan Brefffni, holding the Cavan men scoreless until the 19th minute.

Three points up at the break, and with Ciaran Thompson and Leo McLoone taking control around the middle, Naomh Conaill stepped on the gas to further that lead to seven with just over ten minutes left. Then suddenly, the miles began to catch up with them, and legs began to sap.

“I suppose it was to be expected, Castlerahan were the fresher of the teams, and the game itself, we had to travel down from Donegal that morning whereas they were only ten minutes over the road, so it all added up.

“Ten minutes to go we were very comfortable, but then they got a run on us. They got a few frees that I thought could have been frees out, and a lot started going against us.”

“We kicked one or two bad wides and gave away silly possession, the bodies were tired at that stage. We came up good in the end, Ciaran [Thompson] won a big catch on a kickout when we really under pressure, and we got up the field and got the point.

That last score was a telling example of Naomh Conaill’s deep well of resolve, coming in the closing stages as Castlerahan’s mounting pressure looked like it would break the dam. Former Donegal All-Ireland winner Anthony Thompson somehow found enough energy left to surge up from defence to pick off the insurance point that rubber-stamped the 1-11 to 0-11 win.

“Anthony has been brilliant all year for us. That last score, to have it in the legs at that stage of the game to get up the field from centre back and go again, it was a real show of character from him.

“With all the football he’s played throughout the year and over the last few years, to kick that score was a credit.”

Naomh Conaill took on Clontibret in the 2010 Ulster Club Championship. On Saturday evening, Anthony Thompson, left, and Vinnie Corey, right, will line out for their respective teams again nine years on.

Naomh Conaill took on Clontibret in the 2010 Ulster Club Championship. On Saturday evening, Anthony Thompson, left, and Vinnie Corey, right, will line out for their respective teams again nine years on.

Clontibret are next in line this Saturday evening in Omagh, with Regan having the relative privilege of analysing their previous games with Crossmaglen and Scotstown this week. He has a fair idea of the quality the Monaghan champions possess.

“You kind of know the Clontibret players anyway from Championships they’ve won before. We played them in 2010, a long time ago now, and both teams are different, but you’d know some of the players from watching them with Monaghan.

“They were very impressive in the two games we saw, and any team that beats Scotstown and Crossmaglen are a real formidable outfit.

“Their forwards, Michael P O’Dowd, Conor McManus, Vinnie Corey, they are all serious players. Brian Greenan, the captain at wing forward, gives them an awful lot from kickouts and links the play, while Brian Boyle comes in and out.

“All round they are an excellent team. At midfield they are very strong, Lavelle is a great ball winner and good on the offload.

“We are under no illusions as to what’s ahead of us, but we have prepared as best we can for the past two weeks, so we’ll give it our best shot.”