Clans desperate to finally make their ‘mark’ on the big stage
AFTER experiencing three agonising intermediate final defeats in six seasons, Clan Na Gael are hoping to finally squeeze over the finish line on Sunday.
It’s been a frustrating spell in the club’s illustrious history, but nobody has shirked the challenge and a chink of light appeared on the horizon last season when they joined the big boys in Division 1.
Team Captain and experienced attacker Mark McGeown experienced all of those final heartaches, but he’s hoping a decent league campaign will stand to the Clans against O’Connells in Dunleer.
‘I think getting up to Division 1 has really stood to us. You’re up against more competitive teams every week up there and we were hoping it would stand to us and it has. There is a difference, but having said that Division 2 is very hard to get out of. It is a step up, but we’ve done alright this year.’
While losing finals is never easy, McGeown insists you have no choice but to brush it off and start all over.
‘Everybody knows we’ve had a few disappointments over the last few years so hopefully we’ll get over the line this time.
‘Losing [finals] is disappointing at the time, but you get over it in a few weeks and go at it again in January or February and by that stage you’re looking ahead to the next challenge.
‘O’Connell’s beat us in 2012, I think it was. We’ve a lot of boys here who have lost a few finals, but they’re still there and they’re raring to go on Sunday.
‘O’Connells will be in the same boat because they’ll want to win it and get straight back up to senior.’
Reflecting on Clans’ championship campaign, McGeown feels they have improved as the campaign has progressed, culminating with an impressive semi-final comeback against Mattock Rangers.
‘In the first game against the Bride’s we came up a few points short, but we came back and got the win against Na Piarsaigh to get out of the group and then kicked on well from there.
‘The quarter and semi-finals were two good team performances. Ray McCabe on the square made a big impact against Hunterstwon and Billy [Smith] really stood up against Mattock - no better man!
‘Mattock was a big test. We were evenly matched with them too, but again we felt we could beat them. We came out on the right side by a point. In previous years we maybe lacked a bit of experience in situations like that, but we got a point ahead and defended well to see it through.’
Despite failing to get out of a nightmare group in 2016, Clans kept the show on the road to secure that precious Division 1 spot and they kept their management team together over the winter with Mark McCann backed up by experienced duo Niall O’Donnell and Val Andrews.
And Mark feels that continuity has been important too.
‘We started training a couple of weeks before Christmas and we set our stall out early to give this a good go this year.
‘The lads have done everything they can to help us and hopefully we can get it over the line this time.’
Operating in different divisions, Clans and O’Connells haven’t met this term, but McGeown is expecting a close contest.
‘We haven’t played O’Connells in a competitive game this year, but we know it’s going to be a tough task.
‘They’ll be just as up for it as we are, but if we’re tuned in and take the game to them we have every chance. We’re looking forward to it.’ AFTER the disappointment of relegation and then losing some key players before a ball was even kicked this season, few gave O’Connell’s much hope of being in the mix come the first week of October.
Even veteran goalkeeper/ defender/attacker Stauart Reynolds didn’t see it coming - but he’s been around long enough to know that you have to take your chances when they arise.
‘Probably not after last year,’ he admitted when asked if he saw a final appearance in the stars at the start of 2017.
‘It was a really bad year for us. One or two things didn’t go right and then at the start of this year we lost a few players through travel and whatever. But we knuckled down and brought in five or six and bred them in the league.
‘We didn’t get the results even though we played okay, but in the last three or four months we put the shoulder top the wheel and I think we’ve only lost one game in the last six or seven, so it’s going well now.’
The former Louth net-minder planned to take a step back from playing duty this term, certainly from the first team, but when the call came he was only too glad to oblige.
‘I semi retired last year, but the lads asked me to come back and then they made me captain. They asked me to play in goal and I was delighted to be part of the panel and I’m glad I did [come back] looking back now.’
Reynolds played outfield when O’Connell’s beat the Clans in the 2012 final and he points out that the Castlebellingham outfit will be sporting quite a few changes from their Seamus Flood Cup winning side.
‘Seven or eight are gone off the panel and they were probably mostly starters. But the young fellas came in and they’ve been wonderful. As an elder statesman myself you can feel it when they’re buzzing around you in training. We got Robbie (Quigley) back too and when you have lads with pace like Niall Conlon, Jackie Agnew and Conor McGuill, you always have a chance.’
But apart from having a bit of experience of the big-match build-up, which Clans also possess in abundance, Reynolds feel the 2012 showdown will have little influence on Sunday’s clash.
‘The build-up to the final will be the same, but in terms of the game itself, I don’t think it will have much bearing. They have gotten stronger and we’ve lost a few, but it’s a final and it’s 50/50. We’ll set up as we normally do and we go into it felling as if we have nothing to lose. We’ve taken it one game at a time and look where it’s taken us.’
Two of those game were against O’Connell’s near-neighbours Naomh Fionnbarra, and Reynolds was in doubt that they were his side’s toughest assignments.