Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Final
By Brendan McTaggart
It’s been a long 15 months for one Lámh Dhearg player and Sunday could present him with the perfect ending to a difficult time. Conor Murray. The Red Hands and Antrim star had been on the side lines since the Saffrons were defeated in Tullamore during the 2018 Qualifiers. A cruciate injury that ruled him out of the Hannahstown men’s defence of the championship crown they won in 2017 and the majority of the 2019 league. Another injury during the campaign shortened his league season but the Lámh Dhearg ace has come through some stern tests in the championship so far.
Four games, three of those in just nine days to get past the challenge of Portglenone will have been a major test for any player. For many Lámh Dhearg followers and Murray himself, it would be more or a relief to come through unscathed. He’s been back to something close to his influential best and the Hannahstown side are reaping the rewards of having him don their shirt once again.
“I was playing against Offaly in the Qualifiers and that (injury) happens. Players get injured playing for the county then it’s the club that suffers as well but the club have been brilliant for me.” Murray was full of praise for the Red Hands and he added: “The club are the team that coach you from a kid and make you into a county player. You have to give everything you can back to the club, when you can. They’re the ones who make you the player you are.”
Lámh Dhearg finally saw off the challenge of Portglenone on Monday night under the lights at Quinn Park putting an end to a tremendous saga of championship matches. Three games, one period of extra time, free kicks and then more drama. The Hannahstown men got it right on Monday night but they were made to fight tooth and nail once again. Speaking after the game in Ballymena, Murray told us: “That match in the Dub, you couldn’t write the script and tonight you saw again what they’re (Casements) capable off. These three matches and this campaign will stand by those lads. You’ll see them back next season. They’re a very young group and fair play to them, it was a great battle.
In a tense and tight first half, the Lámhs trailed by a point but it could have been much better. They passed up on a golden opportunity to score a goal inside the first five minutes and Murray joked: “It was Ryan, I gave it through to him and I should have went myself.
“It was a good save by their ‘keeper though and fair play to him but you know, Portglenone, fair play to them all as no-one would have been thinking about them all year and they beat St Johns in the replay in Colaiste Feirste and took us to a replay.”
The game looked to be coming to a premature end for the Lámh Dhearg ace who took a blow to the head in a tackle with ten minutes of the half remaining. He came out a registered an excellent score after the restart and his team kicked on from there: “I felt very sick. I went in at half time and the physio gave me a couple of paracetamol and I was alright for the second half. I got a wee bang in the neck with the county and I was conscious of that.
“They were steamrollering us for the last five minutes of the half so we needed half time. It definitely came at the right time.”
So often the Lámh’s go to man in the past, Paddy Cunningham stepped up to the plate once again on Monday evening by scoring the two goals that were ultimately the difference between the sides: “We were a bit more composed for the two goals and that’s something that was maybe lacking in the last couple of games. We were a bit trigger happy with our shooting but we showed composure tonight and thankfully it paid off for us.
“Paddy got the two goals and that experience was vital. You can coach all day but that experience in those situations is crucial.”
With the three semi-final games and over 200 minutes of championship football in just nine days, five days to get ready for a county final will be a tough task for the Red Hands to deal with but Murray told us: “We’ve only got five days to recover but we haven’t even thought on the final. We had tonight to get past and I’m sure we’ll have a chat about it when I get in here but after Portglenone took us to a replay after the match in Creggan, we haven’t been looking at anything else.
“Hopefully this match won’t have taken too much out of our legs, the pitch was pretty heavy out there but we have five days now to get ready for it.”
Lamh Dhearg were dethroned against Cargin last year, the Erin’s Own men going on to win the county title and while acknowledging that defeat, Murrary added: “We hadn’t won it in so long and we came up against Cargin who didn’t win it the year before. They would have had the hump up but I wasn’t playing then, I had just done my cruciate but teams change every year, you know. We have a lot of different players and they have lads who they didn’t have two or three years ago, they are county champions so we’ll just go on Sunday and see what happens.”
Murray’s road to recovery takes him to Corrigan Park and a county final. The long layoff, months of rehab and personal frustration will be all worth it of they can get over the line against Cargin but Murray concluded by telling us he’s making the most of this chance: “I’ve hardly seen my wife and kids. On Friday I was at the physio after banjaxing my hamstring and then on Saturday I was at the ice-baths but that’s basically what you have to do. You have to put your life on hold when it comes to this time of year. Thankfully I have a very understanding wife but hopefully it gets easier from Sunday. It’s only a short space of time where you have to make these sacrifices, I’m 30 now and I mightn’t get opportunities like these too often or for much longer.
“It’s all about making the most of opportunities after coming back from an injury like that.”