By Ciaran Woods
c.woods@gaeliclife.com
It proved to be third time lucky for St Paul's last Sunday as they laid claim to provincial honours at the third attempt, but the gloss of their Ulster intermediate triumph has been dulled somewhat by the frantic few days which has followed.
Their superb win over Magheracloone at Truagh went a long way to making up for the hurt of losing the Ulster Junior final previously and last year's intermediate decider. However, their 'reward' for winning is a trip to London this weekend for their All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Fr Murphy's.
Given the short notice, St Paul's were extremely limited as to what travel options were available to them. They will now therefore fly from Belfast International to London on a 7.00am flight, with players' travel getting underway from before 5.00am to make the flight. The short notice also means that no flights were available back into Belfast on Sunday night, and so the squad must return through Dublin.
The biggest problem facing the Belfast side is not just the travelling, but the fact that their game is fixed for 11.00am on Sunday morning at Ruislip. That means that the team will have little time to shake off their travel legs before rushing out onto the field for the game.
The reason given for the early start is that 11.00am is the only time Ruislip is available on the day, with a number of other British hurling and London championship games fixed at the north-west London venue, but that's not something which rests easily with St Paul's boss Brian Coyle.
"It's an absolute nightmare. We've been in touch with Croke Park about the fixture, but we've basically hit a brick wall with it and we've been told that it won't change. We got no help whatsoever, we were told that the date was fixed and that was it.
"The price of the flights has rocketed even from what they were last week, because it's such short notice. They've effectively doubled over the course of a few days, and it's going to cost us up on £10,000 for the flights alone. I think it's absolutely ridiculous that we should be expected to be on a pitch in London at 11.00am on a Sunday morning."
Such was the pressure on St Paul's to find the funds to cover the trip that most of the senior girls were out on Monday morning in ASDA doing bag-packing to help cover the costs. Ulster Council do make a financial contribution to the travel costs, as do Central Council, but it's still going to be a huge undertaking to get to London never mind come away with a win, but it's just another step in the rapid development of the club.
It's been a meteoric rise for the Belfast club, who only came into existence six years ago. To go from nothing to being Ulster intermediate winners in such a short space of time is testament to the hard work of the club in developing strong underage structures, and the senior side are now reaping the rewards.
"It's a huge credit to the girls and what they've put into this. They suffered the disappointment of the loss to Emyvale in the Ulster intermediate final last year, and in the changing rooms afterwards they vowed that they'd come back at it again this year.
"Seven of our team from last Sunday were under 17 years of age. Players from St Paul's would have been the backbone of the St Genevives school team that got to their All-Ireland schools' final last year. So we're helping the schools, and they're helping us.
"Every Saturday morning we have anywhere between 50 and 70 under-12 girls out for training on our pitch. There's a massive interest in football among the girls locally, and it's down to the hard work being put into developing young players and bringing them through."
It was Mairead Cooper who scored the all-important goal for St Paul's in the provincial decider, and capped what has been a remarkable footballing year for Cooper who played such a key role in helping Antrim claim All-Ireland glory just a few weeks ago.
"Mairead has had a fantastic year. Her father is the Antrim treasurer, and he said to me on the bus coming back up from Antrim's All-Ireland junior win 'It can't get much better than that, can it Brian?' I answered that she could win an Ulster and an All-Ireland intermediate club medal before the summer was out. And why not? The chance is there, it's up to us to go out and take it."
St Paul's have a number of injury concerns ahead of this weekend's game, with Rachel McCann and Aisling Reilly both considered as doubtful. However, Coyle insists that his side are heading to London fully expecting a win, with confidence brimming over following last weekend's success.
"To get our hands on some silverware has made such a difference, such a boost to all of us. At the end of the day, that's what you go out for. That's why we're there. We're in a new competition now, there's a prize there to be won, and we'll be doing all we can to do as well as we possibly can do."
18 years a-growing
IF winning is a habit, then Francie Coleman is addicted. The Donaghmoyne boss steered his side to yet another Ulster title last weekend, as they blew away the challenge of St Macartans at Truagh. He's a man who bucks all the normal trends associated with management.
Same voice syndrome? Not with Francie, who has been in charge of the Donaghmoyne ladies since 1991. The girls have nothing but respect for their manager, who has repaid their trust by guiding them to title after title. Even after so much silverware, he has an unquenchable thirst for success, and he says that the hunger is as strong as ever.
"The hunger is definitely back in the girls this year, and that rubs off on me as well. We've made no secret of the fact that we'd like to get another belt at the All-Ireland, and that's where we're at now.
"We had a lapsed couple of years after we won the All-Ireland, through one reason and another. But we've got back into our stride this year. Myself and Kevin Burns have been there a long time, but we wouldn't be there if we didn't think we could do well."
St Macartan's were expected to bring the game to Donaghmoyne in some style last Sunday, but a great start by the Monaghan champions saw them stretch out a lead which Macartans simply could not claw back.
"We got a good start, got four or five points ahead, and they missed a few chances as well. They were looking for a goal or two but they couldn't get in. They came back at us in the second half, scored two points on the trot but we came back strongly. Once we got the second goal, I think we were well placed and it gave us that bit of a cushion."
That goal came from attacker Catriona McConnell who finished the game with 3-7 of her side's tally of 3-10. She's been in superb scoring form throughout the championship, and Coleman is glad to have an attacker in such a rich vein of form.
"We're right strong from one through to 20 this year, the girls are all playing well. But 'Teenie' is in top form this year. She's an opportunist, and she's a great free-taker. She's scored some great points for us, and the other girls are doing their part in winning the frees that she's converting."
Last Sunday's win sends Donaghmoyne into the All-Ireland title race once again, eager to repeat their success in 2006 when they were crowned All-Ireland champions. They were gutted to have lost out to Carnacon last year, and with Laois champions Timahoe having come through the Leinster championship, Coleman is eyeing another All-Ireland title tilt.
"They're new opposition for us. The only time we would have gone up against them was in the Sevens in Dublin, but that's a very different competition. So we'll be trying to find out a bit about them over the next few weeks.
"Being at home is a huge bonus for us. You would hope that it would be as good as three or four points. It's a relief to not have to travel down south somewhere, the travel and upsetting the apple cart. Hopefully we can make it work in our favour."
Corduff make it a double for Banty
MONAGHAN champions Corduff had seven points to spare over Cappagh at wet and windy Crossmaglen last Saturday to lay claim to the Ulster junior title, 3-7 to 1-6 the final score.
The game had originally been fixed for Clones, but some frantic reorganisation saw the game played at Crossmaglen immediately after the Ulster versus Leinster Inter-provincial semi-final. That switch made life a little easier for Seamus McEnaney, who otherwise faced a race against time to combine his dual role of Ulster assistant boss and Corduff selector. In the end, it worked well for Banty who got to enjoy success in both fixtures, with the bonus of seeing his daughter Laura pick up the Player of the Match award in the ladies' game.
The Farney side opted to play with the aid of the strong breeze in the first half and opened their account with a goal through Emma Byrne after just two minutes. Points then followed from Louise Byrne, Sinead Clarke, McEnaney and Colleen Callan before Michelle Sweeney grabbed Cappagh's first score, an eighth minute goal. The Tyrone side's goal was quickly cancelled as Emma Byrne found the back of the net for Corduff. Five minutes later and Laura McEnaney scored her side's third goal to give Corduff a nine point lead entering the second quarter.
Stephanie Patterson pointed for Cappagh but that was to be their last score of the half. Corduff on the other hand finished the half strongly and further points from Louise Byrne, McEnaney, Colleen Callan and Sinead Clarke gave them a 3-7 to 1-1 interval lead.
Early in the second half Corduff had Kate Brennan sent off, and for the next 25 minutes it was backs-to-the-wall defending. Corduff played Laura McEnaney as a sweeper and for the majority of the game everyone bar the Cappagh goalkeeper were camped in the Corduff half.
The Monaghan outfit failed to score however they also only allowed Cappagh to register just five points through Stephanie McGinn, Stephanie Patterson (2) and Terri McCusker (2), and went on to win by seven points.
The Monaghan outfit have little time to enjoy their win though, as this Sunday they must travel to London where they will face Kingdom Kerry Gaels in the All-Ireland quarter-final. That game is fixed for Greenford, the home of Tir Chonnail Gaels, at 2.00pm.
