MAYOBRIDGE manager Ciaran McKeever is looking forward to Sunday’s knockout championship clash against neighbours Clonduff, but only after he addresses what didn’t please him in Monday’s 1-13 to 1-11 win over Glenn.
Mayobridge were leading 1-11 to 0-6 at the last water-break but a late Glenn rally, including a Stevie Clarke goal, left the Sky Blues with a bumpy finish in a game they had firm control of.
Kevin O’Rourke (0-01), Sean O’Hare and CJ Barr were introduced late in the game, but the straight-shooting Bridge boss feels he didn’t get enough from his men against Glenn.
“We were probably in control the whole way through, but I wouldn’t be happy with our game management in that last quarter after the water-break,” said McKeever.
“We made a number of changes thinking ahead about next week but I said to the boys, those boys we put in, they expect to be playing, which just makes life harder because if we have subs that are not adding to the thing then they are just putting themselves under pressure.
“That is what was disappointing about the last quarter, we didn’t manage it in the way we should have. We left ourselves in a position to go on and win the game and we just made things more difficult for ourselves at the end.”
Mayobridge teenager Charlie Smyth has been a revelation this season, we seen glimpses of what he was capable of towards the end of last season, but this year he has become a vital part of McKeever’s team.
The 19-year-old was goalkeeper for St Colman’s MacRory Cup team, but for Mayobridge he has become the steady and deadly accurate free-taker. He scored six points against Glenn, five frees and a converted 45’ and each score a beauty. And it is no surprise because McKeever has enlisted the help of a former Mayobridge legend.
“It [free-taking] is probably something that we have worked really hard at between himself and Corey Quinn,” said McKeever.
“Last year when I came in our free-kicking stats were at 40 percent from scoreable frees and if you are to compete at the top end of the league or compete at the top of championship that isn’t going to get you across the line in tight games.
“It is something that we really honed in on and to be fair to the boys anyone who is free-taking is practising hard with Robbie Coulter, who was the Mayobridge free-taker when they won five club championships in a row. He [Charlie] is a great free-taker and he has been working with Robbie behind the scenes and it is paying dividends for the boys and long may it continue.”
Next up is Sunday’s knockout clash against rivals Clonduff, with a place in the Down Senior Club Championship quarter-finals at stake and the Sky Blues boss says it is a game he will have his side prepared for.
“Tonight [Monday] was about getting across the line and we now have Clonduff, which is a local derby, so we are looking forward to it,” said McKeever.
“We will get back to the training ground on Wednesday night (tonight) and we can assess our game management side of things and a few other things that happened inside the game and we are looking forward to it.”
Interestingly following Sunday’s timing controversy between Warrenpoint and Kilcoo, the clock in Pairc Esler was stopped for the water-breaks. The scoreboard wasn’t working on Sunday night.
DOWN SENIOR CLUB FIXTURES
HURLING
Sunday (August 30)
In Portaferry: Portaferry v Bredagh at 2pm
In Ballygalget: Ballygalget v Ballycran at 5pm
FOOTBALL
Friday (August 28) at 7.45pm
In Pairc Esler: Bredagh v Loughinisland.
Sunday (August 30)
In Pairc Esler: Clonduff v Mayobridge at 3.30pm
In Pairc Esler: Burren v Kilcoo at 7.45pm
Monday (August 31) at 7.45pm
At Pairc Esler: Longstone v Carryduff/ RGU winners.
