Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NO TURKEYS IN CLUB THIS YEAR
SHANE MCGUIGAN insists no-one will winter well in Slaughtneil this year.
Sunday’s Ulster final matchwinner says the dual marvels have absorbed last year’s lessons when their All-ireland dreams in hurling and football were dashed at the semifinal and final stage respectively.
“We know what we need to do to improve upon last year,” Mcguigan said.
“Maybe it was a week too late we started back, maybe people enjoyed Christmas too much. It won’t be the same now.
“We’ve already started for the hurlers, the non-dual players, out with sticks a couple of nights a week indoors to keep ticking over during the winter. Then when it comes to New Year, we’ll be flat out again.”
Within Ulster these days, the Derry giants have no peers. They are used to winning and took Sunday’s football final win over Cavan Gaels – which clinched an Ulster treble of hurling, camogie and football titles for the second year running - in their stride.
“Everyone said last year that three provincial titles will never be done again but we just took it a game at a time,” said 20-year-old Mcguigan, who nailed 1-6 in the Athletic Grounds. “We knew with this special group of players that it could be done.”
Dual star Brendan Rogers fractured a knuckle in Sunday’s final but expects to be fit for both All-ireland club semi-finals in February.
“I’ll only need to rest for three weeks or so,” Rogers (inset) said.
“It happened in the first half when there was a sort of a goalmouth scramble and I just fell on it.”