Football

Hard work pays off as Donegal's Paddy McBrearty looks ahead to Ulster final

After a year out through injury, Donegal's Paddy McBrearty followed up his five points against Fermanagh with three in the second half against Tyrone as the Tir Chonaill men booked their place in the Ulster decide Picture by Philip Walsh
After a year out through injury, Donegal's Paddy McBrearty followed up his five points against Fermanagh with three in the second half against Tyrone as the Tir Chonaill men booked their place in the Ulster decide Picture by Philip Walsh After a year out through injury, Donegal's Paddy McBrearty followed up his five points against Fermanagh with three in the second half against Tyrone as the Tir Chonaill men booked their place in the Ulster decide Picture by Philip Walsh

OVER long, dark winter nights spent alone in the gym Paddy McBrearty kept his spirits up by visualising summer sunshine and playing against Tyrone in the Ulster Championship.

The Kilcar forward limped off St Tiernach's Park with a cruciate injury in last year’s Ulster final and there were fears he would never be the same player again.

The rehab took months and he missed the League but returned to action against Fermanagh last month. Moving through the gears, he scored three second half points against the Ernemen and sprinted out of the tunnel at Kingspan Breffni last Saturday evening to complete his comeback.

“I probably had this game earmarked more than any,” said McBrearty after scoring three points in Donegal’s four-point victory.

“I had 11 months to prepare for this game, it didn’t go to plan in the first half and things opened up in the second half so I’m delighted. It’s a stage like that that I craved to be back for.

“Once I was cleared to play, I was cleared to play and I’m back at full tilt. It was all about being patient there, when you have five forwards going well the sixth might not go well, so I knew I would get that opportunity at some stage and when you get it it’s all about making the most of it.”

Donegal were underdogs going into Saturday’s semi-final but the proved their doubters wrong with a display of power, pace and poise that has left them clear favourites to retain the Anglo-Celt Cup against Cavan on June 23.

“I don’t think we got the respect we deserved throughout the country, we were big underdogs going into that game (against Tyrone) so it is what it is,” he said.

“Tyrone were in the All-Ireland final last year, they beat us last year in the league and the championship so probably any favourite tag on them was justified. But we knew what we had within our dressing room there and the talent we have, and if we put on a good performance we would be on the right side of the result.

“A lot of us are going for our fifth Ulster title so it’s probably something we only dreamed of when we started off in 2011. They are sweeter with everyone one you get, so we are looking forward to it and we know it is going to be tough.”

McBrearty has eight points to his credit from two Championship games but he trails Jamie Brennan (1-7) in the scoring charts. Brennan was electric on Saturday evening, posting 1-3 from play and Tyrone could not lay a glove on him.

“He’s an unreal young fella,” said McBrearty (26).

“He has a top attitude, he trained really hard and he deserves everything he gets. It was great to see him put on that performance. We have competition going on there, it’s healthy so as long as we win it doesn’t really matter.

“It’s not easy! I’m third (choice) now behind Jamie and Michael! It’s good to have that competition, listen in the A versus B games at training you are looking over your back all the time and it’s a good thing to have healthy competition. I’m pushing on now, I’m 26 next month.

“This is my ninth year now, we are back in our eighth Ulster final in nine years so we’ll re-evaluate look forward to it.”

Cavan were six-point winners against Armagh on Sunday but Donegal, who hammered the Breffnimen 2-20 to 1-15 in the Ulster preliminary round last year, have already been installed as clear favourites for the Anglo-Celt decider.

“We are around the block enough now to deal with those sort of things,” said McBrearty.

“We’ll have a favourites tag on us surely, but it’s all about us keeping grounded.

“We’ll have to analyse this game and get back training hard for the final and when we started out at the start of the year the target was to win an Ulster title.

“People from the outside might not think it’s a big deal, but for the players here it’s a massive deal for us so we are looking forward to getting back at it.”