League final winners won't be getting carried away 

With the McCarthy Insurance Group Football Leagues done and dusted for another year, attention has now turned to the championship.

The real stuff gets underway on Friday, July 26, with the hopes of every team no doubt high going into the championship. No matter what went on in the league, it will quickly be forgotten about when the championship starts.

Of course league is very important and it’s an indicator as to how teams are doing but it’s not a formula to follow for later on in the campaign.

The seven football league deciders were played over two days last weekend, on Friday and Saturday, and while claiming silverware is a huge positive and it does give everyone a lift, it can give a side false hope too depending on how you manage expectations. But you also have to enjoy success when it comes around. 

June and the start of July is always a tricky time for managers with players away on holidays and so on and any player who may have a slight injury, wouldn’t be risked with championship only around the corner.

Carrigaline claimed the top-flight league title last Friday evening after victory over a strong Nemo Rangers side. It was a surprise that Carrigaline went through the trapdoor of the Premier SFC last year, but their response has been wonderful. 

Michael Meaney's will undoubtedly learn lessons from last year and also learn a few things from St Finbarr's. Carrigaline won the Division 2 title last year, but that was forgotten about when they lost to Mallow in the Premier SFC relegation play-off. St Finbarr's, with an understrength team, won the Division 1 football league crown last year and ultimately, despite being favourites for the Andy Scannell, didn’t land the prize. 

The Barrs lost at the semi-final hurdle to Castlehaven who went on to win it outright. The Haven didn’t exactly pull up trees in the league last year as they finished in mid-table including losing four of the last five games but got it together when championship started.

While Carrigaline, Clonakilty, Kanturk, Iveleary, Adrigole, Ballinora and Cullen all celebrated winning their respective leagues last weekend, they will be well aware that championship is a different ball game.

A phrase you will hear quite a bit for the next couple of weeks is “peaking at the right time.” It’s all about that.