Connacht Gold Leitrim SFC Final is nothing to get over-excited about says Leitrim Gaels boss Mal Guckian

Maybe it is the man’s own nature, maybe it is part of the managerial mindset but Mal Guckian says that there is nothing for his Leitrim Gaels team to get excited about when they play their first ever Connacht Gold Leitrim Senior Championship Final next Sunday in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

The Gaels face Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins in a game that has the entire Leitrim Village community brimming with excitement and Mal, a man who has given many years of dedicated service all the way from the Junior ranks, is delighted that the club has reached the biggest day in Leitrim club football.

“You nailed it there, it's a great occasion - it's brilliant for the club,” Mal responded after asked by the Observer about reaching the club’s first ever Senior decider, adding “I'm delighted for this bunch of lads there, the amount of work that they've put in but  you're never guaranteed anything. You're not guaranteed reaching finals or winning semi finals or anything like that and it's brilliant just to see them boys to reach their first final.”

Now that they are there on Final day, Mal’s focus is all about winning the final, not just making up numbers on the day: “Jesus, who doesn't want to win a final when you get to it - it's one more step but  it's nothing to get too overexcited about reaching it, you want to get there and now perform on the day.”

Trying to block out the outside noise around the Village may take some doing but the Gaels manager believes every player deals with the excitement and hype in their own way: “I'll bring them into a cocoon and lock the door, it might be the only way” joked Mal about the rising excitement levels in the village. 

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“I think it's different for different players - some lads love the energy, the buzz of it, other lads want to keep it nice and quiet and focused and that, so it's getting the balance right between the whole lot but we are looking forward to the final.”

Whatever about breaking new ground for the club, the big chat about Leitrim Gaels has been the impact of the Jones brothers - Ryan, Conall & Garvan - who joined the Gaels from Derrygonnelly this year. Safe to say, the addition of the former Fermanagh stars has prompted quite a bit of comment but Mal sees it rather simply.

Speaking of the brothers, Mal simply said “That's a no-brainer” when asked about the addition to the Gaels ranks, “they're three honest lads, really good, the depth of knowledge that they have along with the youth that we had coming up even from last year and the established players that we have, it's a great balance.

“We’ve heard the whole ri-ra about it throughout the county for most of the year and  the bite about it seems to have gone up recently but they’ve raised the standards in our club in everything they do. There are players coming into different places but they're massive for us, there's no two ways about it.”

As much as the Jones have added greatly to Leitrim Gaels, Mal points to the  influx of young players  as just as important: “All our young lads were there last year, I was playing eight, nine U20 lads in a quarter final, which was a massive step and a massive ask of a young team. Those lads are learning and they're coming up every year, they're getting stronger so it's a good balance, it's a great problem to have.”

The return of David Bruen from Australia for the latter stages of the championship is another huge boost to the Gaels with Mal revealing he was surprised to see the former club and county captain back for the knockout stages: “He surprised me - everyone knows David Bruen for club and  county.

“David, Stephen McDermott the same and the other lads, they all want to be part of something, they all want to be part of the club, work for the club and they made big commitments themselves to get here, which is a testament to them lads who they are and what they want to be.”

Leitrim Gaels manager Mal Guckian (centre) pictured with his management team of Emmett Mahon, Peter Goldrick, Damian Eames and Donal Scollan after their semi-final win over Mohill in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada Picture: Willie Donnellan  

With this interview taking place right after the semi-final and long before the conclusion of the two game epic between Fenagh St Caillins and Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins, Mal was full of respect for his potential opponents but again concentrating most on his own team: “Ballinamore & Fenagh - two good clubs, two good teams, footballing teams, so that'll be a ding-dong battle. No preference on who I want to face - my preference is to get the most out of this evening and that's all I'm concerned about.”

Having taken some of these players right up through the ranks from U12 and U13 to Senior, Mal knows his squad well and highlights their inner self-belief as the key ingredient to Leitrim Gaels’ march to the final this year: “There's serious belief there and there's a serious amount of hard work gone in. I've been lucky enough, and they're probably sick of looking at me at this stage, that most of the lads that have seen me since they were 12 years of age.

“The belief that they have in each other, that they have in working for each other in the training - there is 34-35 lads constantly in training, lads there that want to be part of what we’re doing and want to work for each other and want to see the lads, whoever's playing, do well and that's the big difference.”

As for a verdict, Mal keeps it simple - “These lads are a great team and we'll be playing a great team, we know that but so I back my lads all the way - no matter what the result is, they're a brilliant bunch of lads.”