O’DONOVAN Rossa’s hurlers are being led by a “mad man” – but semi-final hero Michael Armstrong says they couldn’t be in better hands.
Armstrong heaped praise on Rossa’s senior hurling manager Colly Murphy following the west Belfast club’s dramatic victory over Cushendall last weekend as they now turn their attentions to facing champions Dunloy in the decider on Sunday October 10 at Corrigan Park (3.45pm).
Former county hurler Murphy has raised standards in each of the three years he’s been in charge.
Last season, Rossa were desperately unlucky to lose a brilliant semi-final to Dunloy – but came back stronger in 2021 to secure their first county final appearance in 17 years.
“Colly is very demanding," says Armstrong. "He’s a mad man – and he’d be the first to admit that. He sets standards and it’s something we have to adhere to, but you will improve naturally.
"We’ve improved year on year under him and we’ve gone one step further than last year. We’re thankful to be hurling for another two weeks, we’ll work as hard as we can, listen to the game-plan that management gives us and we'll try and execute it and it will probably go to the final whistle again.”
Murphy’s management team made a couple of huge calls at the half-time interval last Sunday. Armstrong was struggling to contain Cushendall’s Neil McManus on the edge of the square and was pushed into full-forward for the restart with Gerard Walsh dropping back into the Rossa full-back line.
The tactical changes paid massive dividends. Armstrong grabbed two goals in the 35th and 43rd minutes and set up the winning goal for Dara Rocks in the dying seconds.
Armstrong admitted he was just relieved he wasn’t withdrawn at the break.
“I was glad to get moved up because it was either full-forward or watch the match from the side,” he said.
“I was very lucky to be still on the pitch. When I was moved up I just wanted to do everything I could to make a nuisance of myself because I could have been taken off in the first half very easily. I’m just thankful I was able to pay the squad back and the management for keeping me on because I couldn’t get near McManus in the first half.”
St Gall’s were the last Belfast club to reach an Antrim SHC final (in 2014) with Rossa being the next city side to make a decider – and win it – in 2004.
Rossa swept to All-Ireland intermediate glory in the 2014/15 season but it took longer than expected to make an impression in the senior championship.
“I’ve never played in a county final so to get there is brilliant, but we haven’t won anything,” cautioned Armstrong.
“For 17 years we haven’t got to one and we were just thankful we got the rub of the green at the end against Cushendall.
“It means so much,” Armstrong added.
“We’re like any other club, we have hundreds of volunteers, everybody knows each other. Everyone works incredibly hard from the fundamentals right through to the seniors. It’s just lovely to get back into a county final and give them something to cheer about, although winning the final will be a massive task.”
