Football

Youth helps Slaughtneil avoid burden of expectation says John Joe Kearney

The Slaughtneil side before taking on Derrygonnelly in the Ulster club championship last month  
The Slaughtneil side before taking on Derrygonnelly in the Ulster club championship last month   The Slaughtneil side before taking on Derrygonnelly in the Ulster club championship last month  

SLAUGHTNEIL’S players know the depth of what they’re on the verge of achieving, but their youth helps them avoid the burden of expectation believes their assistant-manager John Joe Kearney.

If the Emmet’s were to win Sunday’s Ulster senior club final against Kilcoo, they would become the first club ever to lift the Ulster football, hurling and camogie crowns in one season.

The Derry champions have won three county football titles in-a-row, surpassed by the four they’ve annexed in hurling, and won the Ulster club football title two years ago with a lot of the same players.

Adding a first ever provincial hurling title last month added to their treasure chest and bringing the Seamus McFerran Cup back to Emmet Park would eclipse any club achievement in history.

“I think they have an idea of what they’re achieving, but I think lads of 17, 18, 19 years of age have no nerves,” said Kearney.

“Keelan Feeney for example, coming out of minor football last year at 5-foot-and-a-bit. He goes flying into tackles and jumps around them without trepidation. I think it’s just that he hasn’t a nerve in his body.”

Mickey Moran’s side are reporting a full bill of health ahead of Sunday’s decider at the Athletic Grounds after emerging from an impressive semi-final win over Killyclogher unscathed.

A new gym installed at the club this year, allied to the strength and conditioning work done under Ollie Cummings, has allowed them to enjoy yet another campaign devoid of a serious injury to a starting player. They will face the ravenous five-in-a-row Down champions, who have been chasing the Ulster title since 2009 and fallen agonisingly short on more than one occasion. 

“All we know about Kilcoo is that they’ve won five Championships in a row in Down. That would tell you enough. They’re obviously a pretty useful side. We’ll have a look at some videos [tonight] and that will be the first of it,” said Kearney of the side managed by Ballinderry native Paul McIver.