Morgan O'Sullivan credits 'leaders everywhere' as Cill na Martra march into county final
Tadhg Ó Corcora, Cill na Martra blasts in a second half goal against Eire Og in the McCarthy Insurance Group Senior A football championship semi final at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Picture: Larry Cummins
Cill na Martra are county final bound, and while the scoreline might hint at a contest, it rarely felt like one. For long stretches at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh, they throttled Éire Óg’s rhythm, forced turnovers from kickouts, and closed down every gap that might have let the Ovens side breathe.
Their control was near-total – which is what made Morgan O'Sullivan's verdict afterwards all the more striking.
“I was expecting a 50/50 game,” O'Sullivan said after the victory. “Obviously, Éire Óg, with the amount of sharpshooters they have and inter-county players, we’re just delighted to get the victory.
“I haven't looked at the stats fully yet, but I'd imagine they had probably had more shots on goal than we had, and let's say the wides, especially in the first half, they’d probably eight or nine at half-time, [that] probably killed them.
“We were probably very lucky to be in the position we were and I would say, if things went their way a bit more in front of goal, it could be a different picture at the end of the game.”
Lucky or not, this was a display defined by conviction and relentlessness – their press suffocating, their transition crisp, and their tackling ferocious.
“I thought the work-rate, and the work ethic of the team was brilliant from start to finish,” he said. “Éire Óg are a very formal team with very good players and very good management.”
One of those to epitomise that work rate was defender Seán Ó Foirréidh, who appeared to be everywhere at once.
“But he was everywhere. He's a big engine and like the rest of the lads, put in a very good performance.”
Behind him, midfielders Gearóid Ó Goillidhe and Antóin Ó Cuana – aided by Dan Ó Duinnín dropping in as an auxiliary third man – gave the side its platform.
The two boys [Seán and Dan] were excellent at that. And I think the two midfielders, Gearóid Ó Goillidhe and Antóin Ó Cuana were similar, that was the work ethic throughout the team.
“The two boys drove that. I suppose they’re two leaders within the team, amongst others. They set a good tone. I think that's set by a lot of players in the team, but tonight they might have been more prominent.”
The Gaeltacht club, champions of Premier Intermediate two seasons ago, have adjusted to Senior A life with striking ease – position consolidated in year one, finalists by year two. Yet O'Sullivan says that the journey didn’t exactly feel inevitable, especially with the task of managing the four-week break.
“I suppose I was hopeful, more than confident because it’s definitely true that the four weeks are a challenge, and then with the weather, games being called off, we had challenge games that fell away because of the weather.
“So you don't really know, I think, until the game starts. Obviously the team that come out of the quarter-final, are gaining momentum in that. Thankfully, we hit the ground running, so the four weeks didn't work against us.”
He believes the modern championship structure leaves little between sides.
“I think the grades are so even now, just the way the county board have set up the championships, that if a team does come up, they're well able for it.
“But having said that, in the quarter-final last year against Dohenys, we were second best,” he admitted.
“So I think this year we have stepped up another bit, but again, most games we play can go either way.”
The only blemish came from early departures. Goalscorer Tadhg Ó Corcora went off in the third quarter, Ó Cuana followed on 52 minutes, and Ciarán Ó Duinnín’s late injury – leaving the field on the medical cart – saw play halted for close to ten minutes.
“One or two lads came off, but I’m hoping they’ll all be alright. We just haven’t had a chance to assess now, we’re only minutes off the field.”
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