By Katrina Brennan

IN August, Conor McShea climbed the steps in the John Vesey stand to collect Enniskillen’s first Division One trophy since 2001. Nine weeks later, the question is, will he be the one raining aloft the New York Cup after Sunday’s Fermanagh final against Erne Gaels?

Since McShea committed solely to the football side of things, after trying to balance being a dual player for many years, his game has gone from strength to strength on the club and county scene. He’s a real linchpin for Enniskillen and he’s able to carry ball and pick off scores.

McShea knows what it feels like to win but equally he knows what it is to lose a county final.

After being part of the 2020 Intermediate winning team, it was back down to earth with a back the following year when they were beaten comprehensively by Derrygonnelly, 2-8 to 0-5.

In 2022, under Simon Bradley’s stewardship Enniskillen made the long awaited breakthrough and won their first Senior Championship since 2006.

“We’ll try to do whatever we can to try and be on the right side of the result this year,” he said.

“Last year is done, we can’t really do anything about that. Nothing we do this year will stop the hurt of last year, so this year is just a clean slate for us. We’ve a chance to win a Senior Championship and hopefully we’re going to take it.”

Last year Belleek dumped Enniskillen out at the semi-final stage but McShea believes the strength in depth of the current panel has improved them overall.

“A lot of lads have really stepped up, the likes of Nathan Tierney, Ethan Beresford, they are just mainstays in the team now. There are a few others that are really pushing the starting lads on.

“You think of Codi Halligan, (Eoin) Beacom has been brilliant for us this year and was missing last year.

“The difference is the squad depth that we have and I think that’s really showed throughout the league. Obviously we were unbeaten in the league and a lot of that was down to the numbers that we have, we are blessed, and obviously the quality around the squad.”

McShea bagged 2-4 over the course of the championship as the Gaels have demonstrated the art of getting goals – McShea attributes that to their defence though.

“A lot of our goals are coming from our defence which we think has been our biggest strength this year. A lot of our goals are coming from turnovers in defence and Jonny Cassidy running hell for leather the other direction, just whenever teams aren’t set up.”

Whether they can break through a Belleek side that prides itself on its defence – only time will tell. Either way, McShea knows they’re going to be tested.

“We’re expecting them to bring absolutely everything to this game. There’s a few of them have lost three finals so I can see them doing whatever it takes to try and get over the line and we wouldn’t expect anything less of them.

“They are a brilliant team and we’re definitely going to have to match whatever they bring and maybe bring some more ourselves,” said the cyber security employee.

Being captain is something McShea says he does not take lightly and his message to the boys will be clear.

“I’ll try to remind them of the quality that’s in the group. We’ll not really focus on the other team too much. We’ll just focus on what’s in the circle and try and remind them if there’s any nerves or anything like that there’ll be boys there to carry them on.

“We just have to give it our all, we can’t leave anything out there – there can’t be any regrets coming in after 60 minutes of football.”

To follow in the footsteps of Richard O’Callaghan two years ago and lift the cup would be something special for the 28-year-old.

“It would be amazing to be up there lifting that trophy especially when you think of all the brilliant Gaels teams that went before and the captains of those teams.”

Photo caption