Relaxed hurling key to Cluainin victory says captain Michael O’Brien

Keeping relaxed was the key to Cluainin Iomaint lifting the Stephen Dorrigan Cup last Saturday for the first time since 2021 according to their captain Michael O’Brien after a close and hard fought Connacht Gold Leitrim SHC Final in Heartland Credit Union Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada.

Asked what had made the difference this year after three narrow losses at the hands of Carrick, Michael said Cluainin were much more relaxed in their hurling this year: “We were far more motivated. I think we've played a few games there and we're playing relaxed hurling. 

“There were times there, we'd come in and we'd be stressed, not stressed but you'd only kind of come together a week or two before the game and boys wouldn't be clicking.But we kind of clicked well this year and we've worked hard as a team in fairness. Once we know we can work as a team, we work well and we play well.”

Impact off the bench made a big difference too according to Cluainin’s captain: “That's the first time in a long time we've had that. We've got good boys on the bench. We don't have that too often and it helps keep things going because when things start dying and boys run on, it helps everyone.

“In fairness to Declan on the line, he made the changes that needed to be made. You could make changes at the wrong time and that's no good if a man comes on at the wrong time. But they came on when they were needed and they'd done their job in fairness and it made it easier for us out there to help them.”

WE LOVE OUR HURLING SAYS MAN OF THE MATCH MARTIN FEENEY

The Leitrim player and former keeper admitted it was difficult to keep coming back after a series of narrow losses, stressing the small pick of the Manorhamilton team: “It definitely is hard to keep coming back. No offence to Carrick but you look at Carrick there, the rest of the county, we look at them at the clubs that are coming in. 

“Fair enough, they're bringing boys in from everywhere. We’re Manorhamilton - at the end of it, we have 20 players. Boys get injured and boys are away and that's fair. And it is hard to keep coming back but we do. In fairness, we're a great bunch of lads and we love to come back and we do it for each other.”

Michael admitted that the game could have gone either way but put it down to the spirit within the Cluainin squad as why they got across the line: “We had a few hard years the last few years. Great games in fairness to them and very enjoying playing them and we were devastated after them all. 

“Losing is hard but we came back this year and we thought we'd have everything to play for and we went out and we won. It could have gone either way. No one knew what was going to happen there until the last minute. There was a ruck in the last minute and whoever won it was going to win the game essentially. We came out the best there and we got it.”

Given Carrick’s history in striking late goals to win the title, Michael admitted the nerves were on edge: “I was a bit nervous - I've played in goals for a few of them and I've seen last-minute goals going in and Liam Moreton came on there at the end and I thought maybe this could happen again. But no, we worked well and we stuck down as a team and we didn't panic, in fairness to us.”

Easkey are next up in the Connacht Junior Club Hurling Championship and Michael insists Cluainin have nothing to fear: “We'll give Easkey a goal, we’d never fear Easkey - when we were growing up, all we played was games against Easkey and we competed with them. Why can't we compete with them at senior?”