SHANE McGuigan has urged his Derry team-mates to not settle for an Ulster title and keep raising the bar ahead of this season's All-Ireland series.
The Oak Leaf County claimed their first Anglo-Celt Cup in 24 years, edging out Donegal in a titanic extra-time struggle, with McGuigan insisting the winning of Sunday’s final was down to the stoic displays of Derry’s defenders.
“When Donegal scored at the start of the second half, that’s when you saw our character,” said the Slaughtneil attacker, who top-scored in Sunday’s decider with six points.
“Brendan [Rogers] coming out of defence was superb. Chrissy [McKaigue] keeping Paddy McBrearty scoreless from play which doesn’t happen too often. I talked about the characters in the forward line the last day against Monaghan, but I think defensively you saw the personalities, real big personalities among our defenders, coming out with the ball, being brave with the short kick-outs and breaking lines.”
While Sunday’s triumph eclipses most of his achievements with Slaughtneil, McGuigan doesn’t want Derry to go into the All-Ireland series (on the weekend of June 25/26) to make up the numbers.
“This probably ranks number one – this and my first Ulster Club. Similar feelings. Obviously there are thousands in Clones and to put a smile on their faces is something different.
“I’m sure it is something every player has dreamed of – Clones on Ulster final day. It is a different feeling. We’re lucky that we’ve won one when it still means something as there’s a debate going on about the provincial championships.
“We’ll enjoy the next couple of days but we’ve an All-Ireland quarter-final to prepare for and if we are happy to settle for an Ulster Championship, we’d be foolish to do that.
“It’s 24 years since we last won one. This team doesn’t want to wait another 24 years for another one, but it’s all about the next day and I think who plays us in the All-Ireland will take us seriously. I think the surprise aspect has gone out of us now, but we’re into an All-Ireland quarter-final on merit. We’ve beaten three Division One teams. Bring it on – this team is made for it!”
McGuigan has had an outstanding Ulster Championship, hitting 1-17 across Derry’s three games. He enjoyed an intriguing battle with Donegal full-back Brendan McCole in Sunday's final and when the space began to open up in the final quarter of normal time, McGuigan’s influence soared.
“The games that Donegal have played previously they were probably a bit more open,” McGuigan suggested.
“They were probably only playing with one sweeper at the time but to be fair to Rory, he knows the opposition inside out and he’d prepared for them to be playing with a double sweeper.
“Even when I was finding space, which wasn’t often to be fair to Brendan [McCole] because he’s a brilliant marker, there was always that double up so I knew I had to be patient. But I knew we’d the work done in our legs and I knew come 50-60 minutes the opportunities would arise and thankfully they did.”
He added: “It’s just a feeling of relief. We’ve had a lot of doubters, a lot of critics over the years and probably rightly so. But ever since Rory has come in he’s brought a real trust in everybody’s ability – it’s not the 15 on the pitch we trust but the 35 men on the panel. There is a real togetherness and when you’ve got that belief in each other anything is possible."
Asked if he felt Derry would ever be able to replicate what Slaughtneil have achieved on the provincial stage, McGuigan said: “Probably not going by the situation the county set-up was in - and I’m not meaning to slag anybody - it was just the way things were.”
Sunday’s Ulster final appeared to divide opinion. For some, it was a compelling arm wrestle, while others felt the play from both sides was too defensive and lateral.
“You attack with 15 and you defend with 15,” said McGuigan.
“You watch any other sport in the world, basketball, soccer – they’ll defend and attack as one. So why would we be any different? If the professionals are doing it, we should be doing it too.”
