DERRYGONNELLY joint-manager Sean Flanagan admits that the advantage of his team’s “low profile” is gone after their win over Trillick – but says their game against Kilcoo this weekend “isn’t a shot-to-nothing”.
The Fermanagh champions are in Ulster for the fifth straight year but their epic quarter-final penalty shootout win over the Tyrone champions felt like their first real statement victory in that time.
With reigning champions Gaoth Dobhair failing to make it out of Donegal, and both Crossmaglen and Trillick gone at the first hurdle in Ulster, Kilcoo have assumed the favourites’ tag.
Flanagan, who captained the club to a county title in 1995 and was manager for another in 2009, believes that the Down champions are the “number one seeds” but feels his buoyant men are in with a real shout.
“It’s probably worked to our advantage, that our profile has been quite low, but going into an Ulster semi-final I don’t think it will wash any more. I think that advantage is gone.
“But it’s not a shot-to-nothing. Don’t get me wrong, if you were seeding the four teams left, whatever order you’d have 2, 3 and 4, the number one seed is clear enough given their recent history and how often they’ve been here in recent years.
“But it’s like us in Fermanagh, we’re favourites there every year and teams are more able to handle that now, it’s less of an issue.
“We absolutely believe with all our hearts that we have a chance. Given the conditions at this time of year, games tend to be close.
“If you have the right mindset and approach, if you’re physical and well-organised, you can be competitive with anybody. It’s totally different to football in August, pitches are slower, and in earlier rounds you maybe have teams still tuning up. At this stage everyone’s accustomed to the rigours.”
Having been routinely written off before they faced Trillick, Derrygonnelly went to the well several times in an end-to-end encounter.
When Lee Brennan’s final kick struck the butt of the post and came out, the celebrations were wild. And rather than temper it, Flanagan and co-manager Brendan Rasdale felt the post-match one was one to be savoured.
“The lads were absolutely delighted, and we were delighted with how they played. We didn’t go into the changing room and put the brakes on that in any way.
“Football’s to be enjoyed, those moments are to be enjoyed. It would have been grim for a manager to go in and say “you’ve won nothing yet” to them.
“They rightfully celebrated that evening but they started to refocus on the Monday. And I have to say, it’s been no bother getting them back to work, they’re ready and looking forward to the next challenge.
“Any worries we had were relieved very quickly, training has been on the money. There’s enough buzz kill around football at times, we were happy to let lads enjoy it. They’re very serious about Kilcoo and the chance to make an Ulster final.”
The game is currently posted for Armagh on Sunday afternoon. The Athletic Grounds pitch was badly cut up during Clontibret’s win over Crossmaglen two weeks ago and was unable to host the Ulster camogie and hurling finals last Sunday.
With further heavy rain having fallen in the early part of this week, Flanagan admits he was surprised that the venue has been chosen to host a double-header along with the Ulster IFC semi-final between Glenn and Magheracloone.
“We’d be a wee bit concerned that it’s a double header, but we can’t allow that to draw on our energy. It’s the same as looking at who’s the ref or these things, you have to be careful focussing on it.
“But I was surprised when we saw it was a double-header. I know they’re doing pitch inspections on Friday, though what value that is for a game on Sunday I’m not sure. If they’re gonna change it the latest they’ll do it will probably be Saturday.”
