By Michael McMullan

WITH 4-4 to his name, Cargin’s Conhuir Johnston went into Sunday’s MacRory Cup final as the St Mary’s Magherafelt talisman and top scorer, but was happy just to slot into a role for the team.

Johnston’s quarter-final performance against St Patrick’s, Dungannon again put him on the radar.

As the teams lined up for last weekend’s showdown, he was a marked man with Holy Trinity’s Brian Hampsey for company and it was Johnson’s movement that opened up the gaps for others.

Aside from two assists, his catch from opposition goalkeeper Rian Smith’s 14th minute kick-out started the sweeping move that led to Cahir Quinn’s goal and a 2-1 to 0-2 lead that Holy Trinity would never overturn.

“It’s unbelievable,” Johnston said of the feeling of having MacRory Cup medal secured.

“We always knew we had the capabilities of doing it, but doing it is a totally different thing.

“We worked well through the group stages, but going into that quarter-final with Dungannon we really flicked a switch and it clicked from there when we put on the boosters.”

Like many of his team mates in the build-up to Sunday’s final, Johnston took encouragement from being within a point of winning the Rannafast Cup two seasons ago.

“Look, I know it sounds clichéd that if you we lose that it will push you on…but it actually did. We were the better team that day and should’ve won it,” said Johnston.

From the outside, Sunday looked like a nervy contest as both teams felt their way into the game. For Johnston, there was “a boy or two” in close proximity all through the game, but he realised it would free up others.

“I just pulled out to leave space for the rest of the team to do it, to put the responsibility in their hands to step up and do it too,” said Johnston, who wore number 11 but popped up here, there and everywhere in Sunday’s win.

“I am happy enough to let them do it, as long as the team get a win at the end of the day. If I couldn’t onto the ball, I’d do what’s best for the team.”

With three minutes on the clock, he looked on as Ryan McEldowney’s pass put Man of the Match Niall O’Donnell in for the opening goal of the game.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Johnston said of their quick-fire start. “I was going mad for the first 10 seconds and after that, I calmed down in case we got too complacent.”

As the game developed, it was Holy Trinity that held all the aces in the possession stakes, but still St Mary’s were ahead (2-1 to 0-4) at half time.

“I knew they had more actual scores than us, but I knew we the were more dangerous team and we had to come out in the second half and do it,” added Johnston, comparing it to their 1-10 to 1-7 semi-final win over Omagh and how they worked their way back into control.

He had one word for how the momentum of Sunday’s final swung back in Magherafelt’s favour.

“Niall,” he laughed, referring to O’Donnell’s impact. “When he gets going, there is no stopping him. Ruairi (Forbes) too, he was out to do a job and I think he did superb as well,” referring to his marking assignment on Ruairi McHugh.

“It runs in his (Forbes) family with the athleticism, McHugh is a big lad but he’d fit for him and he went out there today and showed it.”