Adversity has seen Aughnasheelin rise to the challenge

If the old saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” holds true, then Aughnasheelin are going into next Sunday’s Smith Monumentals Intermediate Championship Final against Annaduff with a very strong hand as they have overcome an injury list this year that would cripple most teams.

Aughnasheelin lost Leitrim panelist Conor Cullen and Philip Dolan to serious injury, Cian Sammon has made a remarkable recovery to get back for the semi-finals while chief freetaker Fintan Fitzpatrick has been struggling with injury since the group stages.

Aughnasheelin storm into Final as Kiltubrid finish with 12 players

AUGHNASHEELIN 1-8 KILTUBRID 0-5

Yet for manager Terence Reynolds, the response of his players to adversity has brought the group closer together: “It has definitely - it has seen players rise to the challenge, players who are ready and willing to come in and do a role for the team. It has seen scoring forwards step up their game even further.

“I thought our middle third in the semi-final, our middle eight around the middle of the field was outstanding - there was a great battle zone in the first half, we won a lot of breaks which is what we set out to do and every player I’ve got to say has given absolutely everything this year.”

The commitment to a cause greater than themselves also drives on Aughnasheelin according to their manager: “We’re playing for ourselves as individuals but we’re also representing the parish and we’re playing for those players who got hurt and those people who have suffered this year, we’re playing for them every day we go out.

“It was one of the things at the start of the year that we decided we’d go for promotion in Division 2 and try and get further in the championship than we did last year. It has been a busy year, it has been a tough year for the club on and off the pitch - we had injuries to key players, to good players and we’re just delighted to be one of the last two teams standing in the championship.”

Aughnasheelin were considerably the better team admits Kiltubrid's Dockery

It’s easy to typecast a team like Aughnasheelin, or Annaduff for that matter, as simple blood and guts, all thunder and no finesse but Terence sings the praise of the quality of the footballers at his disposal: “We have some very good footballers there, excellent footballers and it is some of the more experienced men on the team that do a job behind the scenes.

“They do unseen work that the management see but there is quality players and intelligent footballers there, they can react to different situations, whether it be kickout strategies from the opposition, be it man marking duties or dropping a man back, we have players who are very versatile and do a job for us. 

“Yes there is definitely passion there and never say die attitude, an attitude that when they go out, they are good enough to beat any team and that is a good trait to have but we’ve got some real quality as well.”

The approach to Sunday’s Final is simple - do your job: “It is keeping feet on the ground first and foremost. We don’t overdo it tactically because you can’t. We try to play a simple game, we got 15 on 15 - we believe we have the players to play that game. 

“It is about 15 individual battles and getting those lads tuned up to go out and win their individual battles that day. If we have more lads winning those battles, hopefully we will come out on the right side of the result.”

Semi-Finals are there to be won says Aughnasheelin manager Terence Reynolds

Neither will Terence allow the excitement of County Final day to distract his troops from the job in hand: “The way it is, the only thing that can affect our performance is us. We have to be tuned in inside our circle is all that matters. 

“There will be a bit of hype, I hope the parish enjoys the next two weeks but our lads inside that circle, we have to tunnel vision, there is only one thing going on - that is getting a 60 minute performance the next day, whether we’re favourites, whether we’re underdogs, it is all about how we go out and us putting in the performance.”