CARRYDUFF may have plundered three goals in their straightforward win over Glenn last time out – but Owen McCabe believes they need to be more ruthless now that the stakes have been raised.
Down ace McCabe bagged two of Carryduff’s goals that day in Downpatrick, with John McGeough first to find the net as Finnian Moriarty’s men powered into a last eight showdown with Mayobridge on Saturday.
However, despite a blistering first half performance that left them seven points clear of Glenn at the break, Carryduff made hard work of the remaining half hour, kicking a succession of wides before McCabe’s second goal in the dying moments killed off their opponents.
And McCabe knows that, going forward, they need to be clinical with any chances that come their way.
“You have to bury those opportunities, and in the second half it was a case of having loads of chances and just not taking them - myself hitting the bar, a few wides, a few dropping short… it’s a killer,” he said.
“Those are chances that, the further you go on, they need to be put away because we’ll suffer the consequences if we don’t in future.
“I don’t know if we were waiting for them to come onto us or what it was, but we saw it out, defended as a team and that’s what got us over the line in the end.”
Although so much of the pre-championship talk was dominated by talk about defending champions Kilcoo and rivals Burren – considered contenders-in-chief by most – Carryduff have moved into the last eight with those victories over Bryansford and Glenn.
After reaching a first senior county final in 2020, last year they gave the Magpies one of their toughest games in a year that ended with Kilcoo crowned All-Ireland champions.
With several county men among the ranks, including ex-Fermanagh midfielder Eoin Donnelly, Carryduff have the personnel to mix it with the best in Down, although they will be without the suspended Ronan Beatty and Josh Connery for that clash with the ’Bridge after the pair saw red following a late melee against Glenn.
Moriarty will feel there is more to come from his men, and McCabe says the former Armagh defender is making his presence felt with the team.
“He’s just putting the onus on us.
“There’s only so much a manager can do, he can’t step across the white line - it’s moreso us knowing that, if we’re looking to go any further in this competition and really push on and take our team to the next level, it’s all about us doing it.
“But we’re getting the best preparation you could possibly ask for.”
Another man who could have McCabe on his radar later this year is new Down boss Conor Laverty.
McCabe missed this year’s inter-county campaign as he was completing a PGCE in Carlisle but, having impressed during Paddy Tally’s tenure, a return to the red and black could be in his future.
“I finished up then came back in July, so I’m looking for work,” he smiled.
“It’s hard to say no when your county asks you. We’ll see what happens. I know him [Laverty] to see because we’ve played against him, then he coached us a bit when we were younger, just at schools and stuff.
“But it’s exciting more than anything. If it comes my way we’ll see what happens, but it’s hard to turn down.”
