O’Brien insists O’Mahony’s are more focused this year

IT was perhaps fitting that St Joseph’s would lift the Seamus Flood Cup last weekend as Sean O’Mahony’s bod for their first ever Senior title.

John O’Brien feels that it was the maratahon semi-final saga of 2014 that triggered his team’s remarkable run and he would dearly love to cap it all with a Joe Ward trimuph on Sunday.

‘When you look back to what kicked it all off, then I think those Joe’s games gave us a lot of belief. This is our third final in three years so we’re enjoying it.

‘That Joe’s game was our final back then. It took us three games in the end, but we got there and we’ve really kicked on after that.

‘It’s the same players, so I’d say the only thing that has changed is the bit of belief we have in ourselves now. That and maybe that the so-called heavyweights have dropped away a wee bit, but when you’re time comes you have to make the most of it.’

The former Louth man concedes that the O’Mahony’s will be favourites with the bookies, but he feels the Mary’s are extremely dangerous.

‘I’d say the bookies will have us as slight favourites but the Mary’s were by far the most impressive team in the semi-finals.

‘Our game with the Gaels was very cagey and the referee stamped his authority on it early and gave out a couple of yellow cards. I think people expected a hard-hitting, intense rivalry, but it turned out to be scrappy and cagey. We kept them at three points for most of the game and we were just glad to get through it.

‘When you have a three-point lead there’s always the chance of a goal, but I thought we were the more comfortable team to be honest and I did feel there was another gear in us if they managed to draw level.’

But Mary’s really caught O’Brien’s eye in the second game and they are a side he suspected would challenge eventually.

‘I had a sneaky suspicion they could come good at some stage. They have some nice young players along with the likes of Darren Clarke and Ronan Carroll. They seem to have hit form at the right time. We played them down here in the league not so long ago and it was very tight game, which we actually only won with a late goal.

‘Sometimes it’s a game like they had against the Mairtin’s that gives you the momentum you need and creates a buzz. For ourselves we felt our first game was a must-win because we didn’t know what would happen against the Pat’s. We were delighted to get through the group and when the real championship stuff came against the Gers we got the real momentum going.

‘They have some great forwards and the bit of youth they have creates great enthusiasm, they buzz around the place. We’ll have to sit down and look at it and get our match-ups right and deal with it. But no more than ourselves really. The likes of Ben McLaughlin, Johnny Connolly, Stephen Kilcoyne are all still young and they’re going to be really up for this game.’

It’s largely the same O’Mahony’s team that reached last year’s final and indeed that won intermediate county and Leinster titles, but O’Brien thinks being a year older and wiser will be huge.

‘Peter Nixon is gone and Gary Mulligan stepped aside after years of great service, but the likes of Johnny and Ben have come in and we’ve a couple of minors in too.

‘I don’t think there’ll be any less nerves when it comes around, but I definitely think we’ll be more focused on playing the game than getting the flags up and all the other stuff that goes with it.

‘Last year we possibly got caught up in the whole novelty of the thing, first ever senior final, so hopefully this year we’ll be a bit more focused.

‘The first intermediate final there was a great buzz in the lead up to that because it was the first final in years. It’ll be more business like this week I’d imagine.’