IFC: Shandonagh were ‘ready for the onslaught this time’

It was a case of mission accomplished for Shandonagh as they overcame Tubberclair at the second attempt in last Sunday’s Westmeath IFC final replay.

Afterwards, Shandonagh manager Kevin Hickey said the aim at the start of the year was to go straight back up to senior level, and he described the intermediate grade as the “toughest” championship to win in Westmeath.

“As a club we’re delighted. These lads have done an awful of work at underage level and I think they deserve to be playing senior football. We’re just thrilled,” he said.

“Last week we were disappointed with our second-half performance. We were in control at half-time. Tubberclair, in fairness, have come very strong in the second half all year. They scored eight points (in succession) the last day and we were lucky enough to get a draw. We were ready for the onslaught this time. Credit to Tubberclair, in the final no team is going to give up.

“I think maybe we had a little bit more composure and the experience of playing in Division 1 (of the All County Football League) and having been here before. We didn’t panic as much as the last day and a few lads stood up. Adam Treanor (who didn’t start the drawn game) was a really big plus this week.”

Shandonagh had to survive a couple of very close battles en route to the final, recording one-point wins over Ballymore and Milltown (after extra-time) in their quarter-final and semi-final respectively.

“I think that probably stood to the lads in that when the pressure was on, they didn’t panic,” said Hickey. "There was a kick of the ball in the Milltown game. Ballymore hit the post at the end. Even last week with Tubberclair, it was helter skelter towards the end of the game.

"You need a bit of luck to win a championship. We took our chances; they didn’t. They missed a lot the last day and we capitalised on that today,” who felt that the referees in both finals (Shane Maher in the replay, Enda Kelly in the drawn game) were “excellent”, despite his team receiving a red card in the replay.

Hickey was justifiably pleased wth the way his players responded to any setbacks on Sunday and, pointing to the inter-county experience in the Shandonagh squad, he said: “They drew on that experience and on playing Division 1 league football against the likes of St Loman’s, Shamrocks and Garrycastle. That will stand to you and it was a big plus for our lads.

“We put a lot of emphasis a few years ago on getting to Division 1 and we’ve been there for the last three or four years. When the pressure was on near the end, that bit of experience really does help.”

Kevin is joined in the management team by former St Joseph’s player Aidan Lennon and the duo won an All-Ireland minor title with Westmeath back in 1995, with Hickey the full-back and Lennon the goalkeeper. When Lennon’s involvement was raised, it prompted a humorous response from Hickey.

“I suppose years ago when we won the All-Ireland, Aidan got all the credit and I did all the work!” he quipped.

“Aidan is a coach in his own right and he expressed an interest at the start of the year in getting involved. I realised going back to Shandonagh that there was no point going back and doing the same thing again, having been here for five years,” continued Hickey.

“We shared the responsibility between us. It’s not just Aidan; we have Martin Scally, Jim Treanor, Robbie Byrne, the chairman. Everybody in the club gave us what we needed.

“The management of a club team is now like an inter-county team. It’s not a job one man can do. I’m just lucky that I’m the head of the group and I get all the credit. Behind the scenes there is so much work going on,” Kevin added.