Kilcoo 'knows what needs to be done'

IT’S the Final many in Down predicted and wanted.

Carryduff’s dismissal of Burren and Kilcoo’s escape over Clonduff in the semi-finals only encourages the narrative that this could be one of the tightest club finals in quick a while.

Of course, Kilcoo are on the perch deservedly, they have overcome teams in Down with inches to spare, before playing their expansive game in Ulster over recent years.

This year, the Magpies plan on doing likewise, but Carryduff have other ideas and they have been closing in on the top spot and are now one game away from winning their first ever Down Senior Football Club Championship title, whereas Kilcoo can clinch a record seven in a row.

Kilcoo’s Celium Doherty is friends with Carryduff’s Daniel Guinness. Both men are an integral part of the Down team going in the right direction. Doherty feels that the Duff and Daniel will provide tough opposition.

“I came on Down panel around same time. I came on in 2018, Paddy Tally’s first year, then stepped away, came back in 2019. Yeah, I’m great friends with Daniel.

“Physically he's always been a big lad, always looked after himself, and he’s very professional in what he does, very diligent. Daniel's a top player, but he's only one of many players that Carryduff have. He's a great player, especially for us in Down, and he had a massive season where our journey went to, and he's obviously a massive player for Carryduff as well.

“Everyone has on the outside that Down is very small, but if you look at the Clonduff team the other night, they're a very big team as well. There is a lot of height in Down, and a lot of good players. Especially with the new rules, the kick-outs are mostly going long, and that's just the way it is, so height does have an impact for them guys.

“Carryduff are a top team, they obviously won a league a few years ago, and have always been building, then when you have a strong management that's been about a couple of years, he’s obviously developed a lot of players.

“People maybe from outside wouldn’t know what Carryduff’s strengths are, but people inside of Down would know how good of a team they are, and how strong they've been over the past number of years.

“They have been the best team in the championship, make no qualms about that. They've been brilliant. They're very well set up, they've had management there for a long amount of years, so they've been building something together collectively. They're going to be a massive challenge. You have to take your hats off to them.”

Like Kilcoo, Carryduff like to hit hard on the break and they have the muscle and accuracy to go on the front foot when needed.

The new rules enhancement means that controlling the tempo by defending is much harder and Kilcoo have the artillery to rack up scores. Doherty is never far away from nabbing a goal, as he did against Clonduff.

Ryan Johnston, brothers Shealan and Jerome, the Darryl, Eugene and Aaron Branagan, Anthony Morgan, the evergreen Paul Devlin, Miceal Rooney and keeper Niall Kane have been keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

Carryduff like to spread their scores too with the Guinness brothers Dan and captain James, spearheading their attack. Tom McCarroll is a fine midfielder with Joe Tunney, Owen McCabe, Joe McFlynn and super-sub Cian Clinton all regular big scorers.

The two-pointers isn’t something Kilcoo have fully embraced but they showed against Clonduff they have the kickers to grab them when needed.

The Kilcoo playmaker says he is enjoying playing under the new management of Martin Corey, Joe McMahon and Paddy Crozier.

“Listen, a new face and a new voice is always great. He's brought great standards. Anywhere he's went, he's done well, especially, for example, when he was with Cavan in 2020, when we were with Down unfortunately,” Doherty said.

“When you hear of men like this that obviously have played at a high level for Monaghan and for Clontibret, and then Joe [McMahon], you always looked up to them Tyrone teams as a wee boy. They were unbelievable to watch. These men have a wealth of knowledge, so you're just taking every bit of information that you're getting from them. Obviously Paddy [Crozier] as well.

“Everyone's going to have their own philosophy, their own way of doing it. Obviously the template's always there in Kilcoo, and that's even from underage, if you watch our underage and senior level, it's just about making sure that what manager’s here, what they believe in and what they're focussing on, that you take that into consideration and go after it.

“Especially with the new game this season, a lot of things are changing, but experience is a good thing. We know what needs to be done.”

It will be history making regardless which team wins on Sunday.

If Carryduff get over the line, they will be forever in the clubs’ folklore as the first footballers to take the Frank O’Hare cup back to the Duff. For Kilcoo they can become the first Down team to win seven Down senior titles in a row and get back into Ulster to challenge for the silverware they left behind last year. Although Doherty said last year’s Ulster defeat is in the review mirror.

“Listen, we always just set our stall at the start of the year, first round, when we knew Bryansford was coming, and we pushed on from it. Fortunately, we're in the county final at the minute, but we know there's a massive task and a great Carryduff side. That's the aim at the minute, to make sure that we're ready for that game, and whatever happens after that, we'll take in due course.

“The good thing is that obviously the county season starts a few weeks after [last season’s Ulster Final] and that sort of takes the mind off it.

“But it does take a while. That's the last game that I envisage with a lot of people, whenever you come to meet up as a group collectively again. Listen, you can't turn back time, so you've just got to get on with it.

“Everyone sort of has to look at the game individually, and then whenever they come back, that's maybe passed off. It was a tough one to take, definitely, but it is what it is. Listen, we'll just worry about Carryduff first.”