Favourites Uibh Laoire took nothing for granted in bid to get back to PIFC final

Not dwelling on the achievements of 2025 has been key in Uibh Laoire managing to match the feat of reaching the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier IFC final.

Sunday’s 1-14 to 0-14 victory over Naomh Abán at Macroom sent the Inchigeela side through to the decider against Kiskeam.

At the beginning of November last year, Uibh Laoire lost to Aghbullogue by a single point. Reaching a final shows a team what they can do but it counts for little when they start from zero with everyone else the following year. To that end, Uibh Laoire manager John McNulty was proud of his team getting to that stage again.

“Look, absolutely,” he said. “Every season is different, it's a new season and a new championship, so to get back to the final now, we're happy with that, it's good.”

Uibh Laoire had a dream start on Sunday, 0-6 to 0-0 ahead inside six minutes before being pegged back by their Baile Bhúirne opponents.

“Yeah, we had a good start and got to kick some good scores early on, a couple two-pointers," McNulty said.

“Naomh Abán are a really good team and they came back at us and they started to dominate and they were getting back-to-back scores.

“At half-time, 0-7 each, we had a lot of work to do. We had to come out second half and just up our game, which I think they did.

The response was the pleasing bit. 

"We lost two men then in the second half, a second yellow and a black card, but they finished strong and they kept their heads and they were very composed.”

By the time their full complement was reduced, Uibh Laoire had forged into a 1-8 to 0-8 lead, the goal from Chris Óg Jones, who finished with 1-5, while his brother Ian also impressed.

Pressed into action

While Naomh Abán initially cut the deficit to a goal, Uibh Laoire then made light of the numerical disparity as their high pressing yielded four straight points.

The seven-point advantage was then sufficient to soak up the late pressure from their opponents, who closed to within three but no closer.

“Normally, when you go down to 14 men in the new rules and you're ten on 11, that makes it very difficult to defend,” McNulty said.

“If you sit too deep, then you're probably inviting them on and you’re struggling to get out on your kickout.

“I think we're fortunate that the players responded and reacted in the way they did. They just adapted and they're very good at that.”

Such qualities will be required again if they are to go one better this time around. The focus is certainly forward-facing rather than looking too much at the events of 2025.

“Like I say, it's a new season,” McNulty said.

“Last year was last year and this year is this year. We're kind of taking everything from this year, really, and seeing how we get on.

“It’s nice to be in the final.”