U-20 B Football Championship Final – Creggan v Sarsfields
By Kevin Herron
Sarsfields co-manager Ciaran Doherty us happy for his side to get into tomorrow’s U-20 B final with Creggan (12.00 throw-in at Dunsilly) as underdogs.
The Paddies defeated Glenavy and got the better of Portglenone after extra-time in last weekend’s semi-final to book their place in the decider.
Doherty has coached the majority of the Sarsfields squad through juvenile level along with his father Michael- also part of the management set-up and is under no illusions that his side are capable of landing the Championship, despite their underdog tag.
“We’ll go in as underdogs of course” insists Doherty.
“I looked at a twitter poll there and 73 percent of people think that Creggan will get the better of us and I read another preview that said it would be nip and tuck though Creggan would go in as favourites. We love the underdog story, up in Lenadoon – we love that. We know we have to fight for everything from where we are, and we do fight for everything.
“We love that underdog story- I’d rather go in as underdogs than as favourites. Our boys fear no-one, they really don’t. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Division One or the best team in the country- they see that as a challenge, and we’ve rose to every challenge so far.
“I’ve had to do my studying on Creggan and I’ve planned properly for the challenge, I’m not going to take it lightly or easy. We had our last session on Wednesday night and I’m confident that our lads will bring it and give it our all. The whole objective was to field at the start of the year, try and be competitive and get boys playing Gaelic football and enjoying it.
“We’ve reached our target and more, this final is a bonus for us, and the lads have known it. We’ve said after every training session and every match- there is no pressure and they’ve made myself and whole club so proud and we’re happy that they’re together again from playing underage. It is fantastic to see them back again and enjoying football and enjoying their company.
“A few of the lads have went out every time they’ve won a match and I’m all for that. They deserve it and it’s been brilliant. Wee personalities are coming through and friendships are coming through. To me that is way more important than any win. If we get the win on Saturday, it would be outstanding, and we would deserve it for what we have put in over a short space of time. I believe we can do it; the boys believe we can do, and I hope we can do it. It would be great to be able to share the moment with my father and the other coaches”.
Doherty revealed that the squad were only assembled four-weeks ago and admits the objective was to attract players that had previously stopped playing for the clubs over recent years.
“Saturday’s final is huge” acknowledges Doherty.
“We had a great senior football campaign, we won seven on the bounce in Division Two and brought that into the Championship campaign and got beat in the semi-final. Unfortunately, with that success it just meant that I couldn’t really tap into the U-20 market as we had a couple of players that were playing for the seniors.
“Though with that said, you’ve got to be happy that the boys are playing at that level and the boys that you’ve coached or helped through the underage’s are playing senior. At the end of the day- that is the end goal; that is what you want- boys representing the club at senior. Whether that is Senior, Reserve, South-Antrim or anything, it’s about keeping boys at the club.
“I was just happy that boys were involved in squads and as I say, I don’t mind what capacity they are involved- physio, or medic or stats or anything- it’s brilliant. We had four-weeks to get 15-20 lads to get put together for the U-20 competition. A lot of people would have criticism of when the competition is organised and stuff like that, but the way I look at it – myself and my father [Michael] take the team with the senior manager and Tiarnan Farrelly.
“We decided that we would use this as a tool to attract boys that we had lost after minor back to Sarsfield’s and it has been so successful. The big thing for the team is the positivity and atmosphere that the older lads have created- it has been so enjoyable. Boys have come back after three, four or five years. At the start it was a nightmare because we had to register about ten lads before they could be even train to get on the pitch.
“It was putting these puzzles together, other teams in this competition have played in the U-20 league and we unfortunately didn’t have the luxury of being able to play Senior, Reserve and U-20. Our campaign started four weeks ago- myself and my father put a plan together; realistically the objective at the start of the year was to get 15-players and to attract people back to play senior football. There was no chance that we would see ourselves preparing for the final”.
The Coaliste Feirste teacher is also an advocate for changing the underage ranges back and feels that too many youngsters are going into senior level at a younger age- lacking the development to play at a more experienced level.
“I think changing the age-ranges was massive” Doherty admits.
“We lost a lot of players at minor and there was nothing and now with U-17 and being younger again- it’s not great and I would love to see a change to an U-21 campaign and U-18 campaign to keep boys at the club. We’ve a massive transition year and we’ve four or five teams that myself and a few family members have helped to come through the club. that transition of trying to get them boys ready for senior when they’re coming out of U-17 is insane.
“Their bodies aren’t developed yet to being at senior and especially the way things are now – the hits are going in and the speed and it’s completely unfair. I feel like there should be something else there to keep these boys. The U-20 is being played on a Saturday and the amount of boys that we lost or couldn’t come because they’re working, and I don’t think the powers to be actually look at and think – these lads will be working.
“I think they look at it and go, we’ll play it on a Saturday because we’ll see who is committed to the GAA, the CLG and who is committed to the soccer. Surely there should be an approach and understanding that these boys might be working. Ahmad Soda from my team, he works in McDonalds and there are days that we can’t get him and a lot of boys in the same boat. They’re providing for their families or themselves to get by as such and I thought that was a complete unfair advantage.
“I would be completely, completely up for a change of the age ranges to the age of 18 and 21 to try and keep these lads playing at a high level and then get then ready for senior because you’re only going to put boys off, at 17 trying to play senior football when they’re not ready- the majority aren’t. it just means that the GAA lose quality talent and it’s where they go after that? Do they go to the streets with their mates or drink?
“Antrim need to develop their game and develop their committee to get young people that are invested in young people’s development. Not just footballing development but pure mental development too. We’re spending that much money on mental health services, so why not use the GAA as the tool to get them in. They’re getting that family and love from the GAA so let’s try and attract them instead of putting them off by doing it on days they are working”.