O’Hanlon sets his sights on a Joes upset
Finally pulling through to win an intermediate semi-final after losing four on the bounce lifted a huge weight off St Joseph’s shoulders, and Conal O’Hanlon feels the pressure is off to some extent heading into Sunday’s showdown with Mattock Rangers. ‘WE lost four semi-finals in four years so we thought we’d never get through. Wayne McKeever was there for the first one - he beat us with O’Connell’s - so it’s good to have him working on our side this time.
‘Everyone is just looking forward to the final now. Mattock are going in as favourites, so we just want to concentrate on playing like we know we can and hope that’s enough to get the result.’
It has been a very positive season for the Joe’s under McKeever and with a number of players now coming back from injury, they seem to be timing their run nicely.
‘We got to the league playoff final too and Wayne has everyone out training and enjoying it.
‘We’re getting a few boys back too. The likes of Darragh Smyth and Alan McKenna are still big losses and even Conor Murtagh from the last couple of years, but we have young lads coming in like Cian McGuinness and Cillian Staunton who have really drove the team on.’
The young guns were instrumental in the semi-final win over Hunterstown, which Conall saw as a major psychological boost.
‘It’s been a while since we’d beaten Hunterstown and we’d lost so many semi-finals. We had a big win over them a couple of years ago, but they beat us last year and again in the league this year, so it was good to get one over on them again.’
With eight green flags raised the Joe’s are the top goalscorers in the intermediate grade this year and O’Hanlon agrees that has been a big factor in reaching the final.
‘We’re good at scoring them, and conceding them too! But this year we’ve tightened up the defence and we’re still scoring the goals too.’
Facing Mattock Rangers will be a new experience for most of the Joe’s squad and O’Hanlon feels they are worthy
favourites.
‘When I started playing we seemed to be playing them every second week, but that’s a long time ago now. By right they shouldn’t be down here because they are a senior team. Having the likes of the Reids and Christy Grimes will make them favourites and rightly so.’
However, the Joe’s will take heart from St Mochta’s display in the semi-final, which fell narrowly short in the end.
‘I thought they were very unlucky in the end. I missed the start and apparently Mattock started very well, but Mochta’s came back at them and hopefully we can get at them too and maybe cause a shock.’
The Joe’s famously beat Mattock on their way to winning Joe Ward in 2006 and while there are just three survivors in the current squad, Conall is hoping the 10-year anniversary strikes again.
‘Yeah ‘96 and ‘06 so fingers crossed. It’s a drop down in grade, but we’d take it.
‘The supporters have been waiting 10 years too so I think they’re as excited as us about it. The bunting is going up and the gear has been ordered so the whole parish is looking forward to it.
‘It would be massive for everybody and for Stephen Melia who passed away last year. It would be a big thing to do it for Stephen too.’