3 Mar 2016

SECOND GOAL CRUCIAL - HUGHES


Danske Bank MacRory Cup Semi Final
“SECOND GOAL CRUCIAL” - HUGHES
Forty five minutes after Ciaran Brannigan’s final whistle signalled Maghera coming out on the winning side of another mammoth MacRory Cup battle, Colum Lavery and Paul Hughes still hadn’t left the dressing room area.
The players had long since gone and the empty dressing room was the perfect spot for gathering their thoughts and digesting the drama that unfolded before their eyes. 
The satisfaction that comes from winning tight encounters is unrivalled and this was Maghera’s third successive win in knockout football. Adrian McGuckin coined the phrase ‘MacRory Cups are never won before Christmas’.  The latest Maghera bunch are primed for March.
After their scare against Abbey, Hughes highlighted that in championship all you ever want is to be in front at the end.
When Conall Darragh fisted over in the last few minutes Maghera were two points ahead - a dangerous lead.  It brought back memories of Niall McKenna’s late goal to snatch the Corn nA nOg for the Academy in Ballinderry a few years ago. 
On Friday night in the closing stages Liam Rafferty was bearing down on goal and ‘keeper Sean Ó’Caiside had denied Dungannon twice.  A penny for Paul Hughes’ thoughts.
"He's good for the third [save],” quipped Hughes. "In fairness to the lad he was exceptional.  The save he made in the first half was an incredible save."
Hughes led Maghera to O’Keefe hurling success and is no stranger to the small ball.  It played an important part in his goalkeeper’s inspired performance.  "He's a fantastic hurler and has a fantastic reaction time.”
Last summer Derry minors benefitted from the triumvirate of Doherty, Glass and Patrick Kearney across the middle.  Maghera are doing likewise.
Hughes admitted that securing possession from their kick outs was something they had addressed so there was the added satisfaction of seeing it pay off in the pressure cooker environment of Loup’s floodlit arena on Friday night.
"We’d done a bit of work on that and we'd said to them if it’s on [kick into space] and at any stage if we need a possession, we go for it.”
When Jude Campbell put just a point in it late on, Maghera needed possession.  This was the time they talked about.  Ó’Caiside pinged a perfect Cluxton-like kick to Jack Doherty. 
Those in Loup held their breath as the ball floated towards Doherty, the result hinged on it but the big Slaughtneil man delivered and Doherty took up up the pitch.
Hughes admitted he sought a bit of devine inspiration in those telling moments. “Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee…,” joked Hughes.
Like all their games, Maghera have played in patches but in those spells they have been devastating and ruthless.  Some day they will click right from the off and heaven help the team that gets in their way.
Hughes’ trusty sidekick Colum Lavery stays in the background and says very little but the Maghera manager speaks of his valuable input. 
"Lav talks about the steam train and the support runner and the work coming through."  It took Maghera’s train thirteen minutes to arrive but just when it was needed the most, the Conor Glass express delivered to sear through the Dungannon defence.
"It's what we need from Conor but it's what Conor is always prepared to give you.  We had Jack [Doherty] breaking through a couple of times as well."
With Patrick Turner on a yellow card and trailing by six points Maghera had to change things up.  Conor McAllister was redeployed to pick up Ryan Coleman.  Hughes was full of praise for his contribution.
“He’s [McAllister] another one hundred and ten per center. He's smart and not afraid to get stuck into the game.  He enjoys that and he was exceptional for us tonight again."  Hughes admitted it gave his team a better balance and as a group they all stepped it up. 
The goals were vital and ignited them.  "Conor's goal came at a brilliant time for us.  To get a second goal before half time was an absolute massive lift for us."  Hughes’ strong emphasis of the work ‘absolute’ rubber stamped the value of Shane McGuigan’s goal.
It gave Maghera a great platform for the second half and when they emerged the Derry men went to town and with seven minutes of magical football, putting themselves in the ascendency.
"That was very much what we were looking from them.  Colum [Lavery] talks about 'don't let them back into it.  McGregor style.  Go for it, press on'.  We pressed on after half time but then we hit a lull.”
Dungannon have been Maghera’s main rivals up through the school and they came back once again.  “They mixed it up a bit again and some of our match ups went awry.  They started getting more control of the ball. We were casual a few times in possession.”
Lavery insists ‘the ball goes dead, the ball goes dead’ but Maghera’s slack use of possession invited the Academy onto them.
It almost cost Maghera as Hughes explains.We needed the end product and I felt we kept them in the game the fact that we gave up so many possessions.  We gave away too much easy ball we allowed ball to be turned over in too many places on the field.”
It was now home time.  Job done.  Hughes, Lavery and Frank McEldowney trekked an endless supply of balls, kit and water bottles across the car park.
Maghera will enjoy the next few weeks preparation ahead of the MacRory Final.  Standing on the brink of a 15th title, this Maghera group will take plenty of beating and will be hot favourites.  Omagh and Dungannon have tested them to the full but Derry men are still standing.
Some of these days Colum Lavery’s steam train will power out of the station on the first whistle.  Why not on MacRory Final day?  We’ll see.

No comments:

Post a Comment