FORMER Cavan manager Mattie McGleenan has joined John Toner in the Armagh Harps’ dugout this season.
Eglish native McGleenan guided the Breffni Blues to promotion to Division One last year but called time on his two-year spell with the county after a three-point loss against Tyrone in the third round of the All-Ireland Qualifiers. Before switching to the inter-county scene, McGleenan had propelled Scotstown to the Monaghan championship and then on to the Ulster club final and a titanic tussle with Crossmaglen.
“It’s a great coup to get him,” said former Armagh star Toner.
“He is a top man, he’s fantastic on the coaching side of things and he has great knowledge on the line. You couldn’t have picked anybody better and he’s a winner – no matter where Mattie has been, he has won.
“He’s won with Scotstown, he won with Cavan and he won the MacRory Cup with St Pat’s… Everywhere he’s gone, he has won.”
McGleenan is a teacher at St Patrick’s Grammar School in Armagh where he taught and coached a number of the Harps players.
“It has worked out well for everybody because Mattie knows a lot of our boys from coming through the school,” said Toner.
“Eighty per cent of our players have come through St Pat’s so Mattie would have seen them over the years and coached them so he knows their make-up. It’s a great fit for us and it’s handy for Mattie because it cuts down on his travelling.
“He’s only out the road to come to training whereas, in his Cavan days, there were a lot of late nights I am sure. They were doing sessions in Dublin as well so it’s a long day when you’re going to work and going straight down there and not home to midnight or after it.”
McGleenan has joined a capable and ambitious outfit in the Cathedral City club. Toner’s Harps dethroned Maghery - who had ended Crossmaglen’s six-year winning run the previous year - to become county champions in 2017 and are keen to reclaim the trophy this year.
“The hunger was a wee bit lacking last year, it was the first time we’d won the championship in a long time and it was hard to get that first-year hunger back,” said Toner.
“Mattie has come in and freshened the boys up. Training is fantastic and the boys love it and a lot of them have got their appetite back. There’s a great attitude in training and a good spirit about the boys.”
Midfielder Josh Loughran remains on the sidelines recovering from a cruciate injury but Harps have started the year with battling wins over Silverbridge and Crossmaglen. After years of Cross dominance in the championship race, Toner sees a strong field of evenly-matched contenders in Armagh nowadays.
“Ballymacnab will not be far away again, Crossmaglen, Maghery, Cullyhanna… They’ll all be thinking they can win the championship this year,” he said.
“We’ve won two close games so far, two good games of football. Crossmaglen were understrength but we have boys like Shane Nugent, Colm Nixon and Mattie Moore who have got their debuts this year and they’ve played well.
“Armagh club football has become very competitive. There are a lot of teams that are there or thereabouts. We’re confident if we can get everybody fit and out on the field we’ll not be far away.”
