Glen aiming for Croke Park redemption this Sunday!

THE green and gold is flying high in Maghera and for the second successive year that All-Ireland final buzz is around as Glen prepare for a trip to Croke Park on Sunday afternoon.  

When Fermanagh native Malachy O'Rourke was announced as manager of the Watty Graham men back in October 2020, they had yet to taste the feeling of winning a county senior title. That news of his appointment sent shockwaves, not just around Derry, but much further afield. What has happened since is phenomenal, three successive county titles, two back-to-back Ulster titles and now successive All-Ireland finals and on Sunday the club will be hoping to continue rewriting the history books again. However, despite what he has achieved not just with Glen but with the likes of Loup and Monaghan more recently, O'Rourke quickly put the players and Glen first before any praise was sent his way.  

"It is more for the players, the club and the community. 

"I try to do my best with any team no matter what and get them prepared to the best we can to go out and play the best the team can,” he explained. 

Twelve months ago, it was disappointment, but a journey the Glen people savoured and as they were now among the top clubs in the country. When you lose and are leaving Croke Park you think it is a long way back here as that journey begins again and you wonder will you be back. Well, they are back, but they have had some testing encounters on route. It all began with a trip to Dungiven on Wednesday 9 August as their championship campaign got underway. 

"When all subsided after last year's final, we got back together, regrouped and just took one game at a time. 

"Derry is very competitive and you know if you’re not at your best you can be turned over. There are a lot of very traditional and strong clubs and you have to be on your guard every game. We took nothing for granted, it proved a very tough championship to win. We had some very testing games in Ulster but thankfully we came through them." 

Then it was the rematch, a repeat of last year's decider and a meeting with Dublin's Kilmacud Crokes. 

"I suppose after the drama of last year it was written in the stars that we would meet again. We just focused on ourselves and getting a better performance and we got that for long periods of the game. Credit to Kilmacud to come back at us and pushed us to the end." 

Many felt that meeting was always on the cards given the draw and both on course to clash if successful on their paths to the All-Ireland stage. However, the same was not the case for their opponents on Sunday as few were expecting the Roscommon lads to come through the other end of the draw. 

"Given Kilmacud’s record they were expected to come through, but it is a bit of the unknown now as it was difficult to know who was going to win the other half of the draw. We knew Moycullen from last year, St Brigid’s have kind of come in under the radar. They are a very successful club, great history, been here before and won the All-Ireland, provincials and a number of county titles. Any side that can see off the likes of Corofin are a good side. 

"They are a good footballing side, young, very fit and move the ball well and break quickly, a very good all-round team with plenty of experience, lads on the Roscommon county side and from the U20 side that lost the All-Ireland final two years ago." 

Last year Glen headed for Dublin as underdogs, on Sunday they head as favourites but for O'Rourke he feels that doesn't really matter to him. 

"We have been favourites in a number of games, so it doesn't really matter. If we don't perform and are not at it, we will not be good enough. We will focus on our own game and obviously on St Brigid’s strengths and weaknesses too." 

Glen suffered a double blow the last day with both Jack Doherty and Ryan Dougan forced off through injury and O'Rourke gave an update on both. 

"It’s going to be a race against time, we are doing everything we can right up to the game for both to give them the best opportunity of making it."