Past finals don't come into it for St Joseph's Carmel McGovern

You can be excused for thinking that St Joseph’s and Glencar Manorhamilton are sick of the sight of each other as they face into their third Sweeney Oil LGFA SFC Final in a row but not according to Joe’s joint captain Carmel McGovern who says previous finals have no bearing on what will happen on Saturday!

Carmel admits that thoughts of previous finals can’t help but arise but insists they have no bearing on the 2025 Final: “Well, you can't help but think about past finals, but at the end of the day, it's never the same team. Every year we've played Glencar Manorhamilton, whether we win or whether we lose, it's a different team every year.

“Whether that's one player different or four or five, every year is different so we have to think of it as a blank sheet and forget about everything else.”

In fact, the long serving St Joseph's forward stresses that getting the job done is the only thing she and her teammates are worrying about! “This isn't a year for fancy football - for us now anyway. I don't think it ever is really. We're not ones for fancy football, it's about digging deep and working hard and that's what gets us this far every year.”

Playing Glencar Manorhamilton in finals has been a frustrating experience for St Joseph’s and Carmel is well aware of the threat they pose: “We know each other well, we know what Manor's like. They have a lot more good players than what's talked about, I think, and we in St Joseph's never think too little of them.”

ST JOSEPH'S HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE IN FINAL SAYS DOYLE

“We know what they're like and I don't think this year is any different than any other year, to be honest. I think Manor are just as good as they always were and hopefully we're that one percent better - that's what we want to be. 

“We've played them, many a final and won some and lost probably more than we've won, so there'll be no complacency when we go into the final on Saturday but we're looking forward to it. That's where we want to be.”

St Joseph’s had some tough tests on their way to the final, particularly against St Mary’s in the semi-final: “We knew it was going to be a tough one. It's never easy against Carrick and they put it up to us, as they always do. We only drew with them in the round game, so we knew it wasn't going to be easy and I think we just dug deep there in the second half.

“I think we didn't really show up in the first half, but in the second half we showed what we're worth and that's what happened. We’ve known for years that Carrick is up and coming, the last few years they've been knocking at the door and it's just a matter of experience.

“But we've got lots of young girls there that mightn't have that experience and it's about bringing them on but that mix of kind of youth and experience always helps us over the line. The experience helps and other times, we need the fresh legs that come with youth to move the thing on a bit. But it's a good mix, I have to say, this year.”

As for a prediction, Carmel says St Joseph’s have absolutely nothing to lose: “Nothing to lose. I would say we're confident, not cocky, because there's no point going into a final not being confident and we've always put it up to them.

“Look, at the end of the day, it's a game of football - no one's going to lose a life over it so we're going to go out and enjoy it, that's the main thing. I think we need to just enjoy the build up to it and it's all on the day, whoever's a better team.”