RAMOR joint-manager Ray Cole says that in hindsight they could’ve made better use of last year’s lockdown – and he’s determined that they do everything in their power to prepare properly for this year’s campaign.

Cole, who manages the team with Shane McAnerney, admits that the long delay in the middle of last year meant that the players were a little rusty when they returned to action, and it eventually took its toll on the team as they crashed out at the quarter-final stage of the championship after a gruelling run of fixtures.

Everything’s on hold at the minute, but the players are staying physically and, just as importantly, mentally active in the knowledge that the club season will commence in the second half of the year.

“Now things have gone back into total lockdown, the lads are doing their own thing – a bit of gym stuff at home and a bit of running on their own.

“Keeping themselves right mentally is the biggest thing for them. It’s tough on young lads being stuck at home,” Cole said.

“I remember when they came back after the lockdown last year, they weren’t as clued in as they’d normally be. So this year we’re trying to keep them busier on their own.

“They’re reacting well. They’re really engaged, and we do Zoom calls and have the craic to keep the thing ticking along.”

The Virginia-based outfit won the Cavan Senior Championship for the fourth time in their history in 2016, but they haven’t added another despite having a favourable age profile.

Last season’s championship didn’t go according to plan as they lost to Cavan Gaels in the quarter-finals – the same outfit they’d beaten in the group stages – in what was their fifth match in as many weekends. It was perhaps inevitable they’d come undone as they were a tired team by that stage.

“We came back from the lockdown and picked up muscle injuries when we started training again, losing a couple of key men at bad times.

“We beat Cavan Gaels two weeks previous to the quarter-final, and in our last group stage match we were seven or eight points up against Crosserlough with 15 minutes to go.

“We were cruising but they hit us for a couple of goals and beat us, and that left us playing Cavan Gaels again.

“We were missing too many strong players because of injuries so we were out on our feet by that stage. If we’d got over that match we would’ve had a two or three-week break and you never know where we would’ve ended up.”

Ramor still have a healthy squad at the moment even though James McEnroe has emigrated while Conor Bradley transferred to Meath club Dunboyne.

James Brady and Brian O’Connell had excellent championship campaigns, while Cole says there are talented young players coming through the ranks as well.

“James is a nephew of mine. He’s in Australia at the moment. Conor Bradley moved to Dunboyne, but other than that everyone’s available.

“We’ve good young players coming through like Sean McEvoy and Conor Nulty.

“They’re really good prospects and will help to fill those gaps.”