CARGIN defender Kevin O’Boyle says the Antrim champions will have to be “smarter and cuter in all aspects of our play” to make any impression on this season’s Ulster Club Senior Football Championship.
The provincial series hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for the Erin’s Own men. Since O’Boyle pocketed his first county championship winner’s medal in 2006, he’s yet to experience a win in the Ulster Club Championship.
They fell at the first hurdle in ’06 (Clontibret), 2015 (Crossmaglen Rangers), 2016 (Killyclogher), 2018 (Gweedore) and 2019 (Derrygonnelly).
Arguably the only time Cargin weren’t competitive in those encounters was against Killyclogher who breezed to a handsome win in Omagh six years ago.
The new Antrim champions will have had five weeks between edging out Aghagallon after extra-time in the county final and Sunday's showdown with Donegal champions Naomh Conaill at Corrigan Park.
“We simply didn’t come out the right side of those Ulster Club matches,” says O’Boyle.
“We were up against Gweedore, we were five up against Crossmaglen at half-time, we conceded a few early goals to Derrygonnelly, but we played our way back into that game.
“Even going back to Clontibret in 2006, they took us to a replay with a last-minute point and we lost the second game. There have been so many close games in Ulster but we haven’t won any of them. It was a bit like that during the St Gall’s era when they were beating us – we knew we were at that level but you have to go out and prove it.
“Thankfully we’ve got another opportunity to compete in Ulster.”
One of the most consistent performers for Cargin in 2022, O’Boyle feels they were primed for Ulster in 2020, but the competition was cancelled due to COVID.
“I thought the COVID year when we beat Creggan in extra-time at Portglenone we were ready but we never got the opportunity as Ulster was called off.”
The 35-year-old corner-back says that the Antrim series will have virtually nothing in common with their face-off against Naomh Conaill, whose county championship record is very similar to Cargin’s in recent times.
Cargin have claimed four of the last five county championships, while Glenties managed to win three of the last four titles and finished a runner-up last season.
“Is it going to be tough? Yes, but that’s why you train, that’s why you play, you want to put yourself in these situations,” says O’Boyle.
"We’ve all watched the Donegal championship and people know how much of a chess match those games are. We can’t give a lead to Naomh Conaill that we gave to Aghagallon [eight points at one stage] so we have to be much smarter, much cuter in all aspects of our play. And we have to respect the players they have too because they are full of quality.
“They’ve Ciaran Thompson, Charles McGuinness and Leo McLoone. It’s how they attack in numbers and how they defend in numbers. We know what Donegal football is like; it’s hard to play against, you have to be patient and you really have to look after the ball and take your opportunities when they come.
“Thankfully, we’re not relying on one or two players for our scores. There’s a good spread, we’re getting more mature and we've a good blend at the minute but you still have to go out and produce.”
Cargin had nine different scorers in last month’s county final and from virtually all sectors of the field, but O’Boyle doesn’t anticipate their Ulster joust with Naomh Conaill in west Belfast being as open.
“What a game of chess we’re going to have against Naomh Conaill. Such a team that they are. It’s going to be a one-point game and it’s going to come from those experiences we’ve had in recent years – from winning and losing. But we haven’t done anything in the Ulster Club yet.”
