All-Ireland Club Intermediate Football Championship semi-final

Magheracloone v Mattock Rangers

Saturday, Crossmaglen, 1.30pm

FOR the Kieran boys, it wasn’t just the thought of an All-Ireland semi-final with Mattock Rangers that was keeping their hands out of the Roses tin over Christmas – their manager was usually within striking distance too.

James Kieran will be relying on his boys, Jamie, Barry and Allan, to play a key role as the Mitchel’s target an historic Croke Park date, an achievement that would be just another chapter in the most unorthodox of seasons.

Jamie, the eldest of the siblings, said that the thought of the club in an All-Ireland final made the Christmas cleanse a piece of non-fat cake.

“In other years we had a break at this time of the year and it was great to get it but this has been something to look forward to,” he said of the Mattock contest. “It’s all for a short-term goal, it’s only a few more weeks so it’s been fine. January 11 doesn’t seem too far away when you’re sitting at Christmas.

“When something as big as Croke Park is at stake then it’s not that hard to stick to it.

“It would be hard to get away with hiding things with him (James) around but he puts his faith in the players, including ourselves.

“Everything will show up on the football field though. If you have been fooling yourself, bluffing, it will show on the football field anyway.

“Management were lenient with us in December. We have been on the go for 12 or 13 months so we had a few nights off.

“That’s not to say we switched off completely, that would be the worst thing you could do. We had our own programmes to do and a bit of training too, so it has been all good.”

While the prize on offer is running out in Ireland’s most famous stadium, the semi-final does have more of a local feel to it.

Monaghan, Louth and an Armagh venue – there isn’t too much travelling involved for anyone.

“Even though it’s a match in the All-Ireland series it feels more like a local matter,” Kieran continued.

“We have had to travel all over the place for training this year due to the problems with our pitch so our boys are well rehearsed in having to go away. We are used to that routine of heaing away so it shouldn’t impact on us too much.

“Over the years Monaghan and Louth have had a bit of a mini rivalry, not that we have had any grievances with Collon (Mattock Rangers).

“That will bring another bit of interest to the match and there’ll hopefully be a big crowd in Crossmaglen to bring some atmosphere along with it.”

The venue should suit Magheracloone. Their run to the Ulster title was noted for their ability to use the full width of the pitch to dissect packed defences and Crossmaglen is a very open field.

Veteran Tommy Freeman was the man with the scalpel as his clever runs and vocal instructions for the attackers around him opened up space. He’ll need to be alert once again as the Louth team are likely to flood bodies back.

“We always prided ourselves on our attacking outlook on football.” Kieran continued.

“Of course you have to look to firm up your defence but we never got caught in that 12, 13 men behind the ball tactic.

“In Magheracloone we always believed in playing on the front foot. We have done that from juvenile level right up to senior.

“We are used to breaking down ultra defensive sides so that doesn’t phase us too much anymore.

“We concentrate on ourselves first and foremost though and we won’t change our game-plan for anyone.

“That’s not to say we are naïve though, we still analyse the opposition and the threats they possess but we still look at home first to see how we can apply ourselves as best as we possibly can.”

This weekend will mark another landmark in what has been an incredible season for the Oriel club.

It began in unfamiliar surroundings, outside senior football, but that was only half the story. When sinkholes appeared at the club’s ground, the team had to travel all across Monaghan, and even outside the county, to play and train.

It could have been the thread that pulled the season apart but instead it knitted it all together with the bond developed on those journeys eventually leading to Monaghan and Ulster Intermediate titles.

For Kieran, it has been a season that he will always remember – and for the right reasons.

“I’m 26 years of age, have been on the senior panel for eight or nine years and this has been by far and away the most enjoyable season yet,” he said.

“We’ve had some highs and lows, getting to the senior final in 2017 is something I will cherish even if we didn’t get over the line, but this year has just been something else.

“The atmosphere has been excellent around the camp, everyone has the same ideas and the same goals.

“When you’re winning there is no better feeling no matter the level or who you are playing against. You can see it on the football field, everyone is looking out for each other and there has been nothing but encouragement.

“I’ve been travelling up and down from Dublin for training. In other years the car journey felt twice as long but this season you’re really looking forward to getting into the car.”

For Kieran and co, the hope is that there will be a few more journeys left before this incredible season draws to a conclusion.