Fintan Goold on Macroom finally looking upwards: We hadn't won a group game in four years

For all the victories over the weekend, none felt as consequential as Macroom’s milestone triumph over Aghada.

The West Cork men had been toiling for four years and a day without a group-stage win, requiring three successive relegation play-off victories, by a combined winning margin of six points, to maintain their Premier Intermediate status. 

They won’t need a fourth.

As Group 2 table-toppers, knockout football is within their grasp for the first time in seven seasons since the group stage was introduced.

Fintan Goold played in those three relegation finals, but having turned 40, he’s now manning the sideline as a selector. His first reaction to the full-time whistle was akin to the feeling at the end of those trapdoor contests.

Huge relief. It's well broadcast; we've had a rough couple of years. We've been in relegation finals for three years. 

"It's not been good for the heart, but the guys have put in a savage effort.

“We haven't always got the rub of the green the last couple of years. We just said it's the night to try and reverse that.

“It means a huge amount to get a victory. We haven't won a group game in four years.

“There's been a huge amount of people who have put in a massive amount of effort over the last couple of years. Guys who've hung in there when it was easier to walk away.

“We've got a few guys there on the other side of 35 who played really well. Young families, kids, and they keep coming back, so fair dues to them.” 

Perhaps it was the scar tissue from close calls across recent years that made Goold a nervous spectator on the sideline.

Macroom led by six at half-time and doubled their advantage into the wind, all the while holding Aghada to four points until a stoppage-time rally cut the final margin to eight; 1-13 to 0-8.

“We couldn't by any means feel we were comfortable at half-time,” said Goold, “but the first 10 minutes after half-time, where we stretched the lead out to eight or nine, it gave me a little bit more confidence that we might win it.

“But I don't think, given where we’re coming from, we ever felt we had it won until maybe a minute or two to go.” 

They ended the weekend on three points, ahead of Kiskeam on score difference, with a final round tie against Castletownbere to come on September 12th.

A win, a draw, or anything up to a six-point defeat would guarantee Macroom’s progression. That much wasn’t Goold’s first thought.

“I don't know what the maths are, but I think we're safe,” he said. “I know it's a strange thing to say, but that would have been our number one priority this year, to not find ourselves in relegation, so there's a huge amount of relief.

“We often went into our last group game in the last three years either knowing we were going to be in relegation or having to win to not be in relegation. Unfortunately, we didn't.

“Look, it says something about a team that you win three relegation finals in a row. They're not easy. It proved a bit of steel to lads. Yeah, they weren't finals you want to be in, but they're good finals to win at the same time.

“We'll dust ourselves down now. We have four weeks to the next game, so we have a little bit of time to reset. We don't have hurling in our club, which is helpful in this situation.

“It's great to be looking forward to an opportunity to be in a quarter-final.” 

In the wider scheme of things, could this mark a turning point for Macroom?

“I'd love if it was,” said Goold. “We won't get carried away. It was a big victory for us. 

The club needed it. We have some good underage players coming through, we hope. Good lads.

“It guarantees us Premier Intermediate football at least. But look, I know these guys are ambitious. They've been on the other side for long enough. We'll try and take the next game and give it as best we can.” 

WARRIOR

Goold watched on as his 2010 All-Ireland-winning teammate, Pearse O’Neill, at 46, played through injury for Aghada.

Given that Goold was named as sub-keeper, could we yet see a comeback?

“No, no, Pearse is incredible,” he replied. “Jeez, what a man. A good friend of mine.

“Gosh, I don't know how he keeps doing it. A warrior. I know he wasn't right, carrying injuries, but he's an Aghada man to the core.

“They're a club I have massive respect for. Conor Counihan trained us to an All-Ireland with Cork. I know exactly the type of characters they have. 

"And Kieran O'Connor, God rest him, he's always in our thoughts.”