Denn look to break new ground in Ulster final
Ulster Club JFC final preview
Asked in the aftermath of their dramatic semi-final win over Desertmartin how Denn would approach the short run-in to Sunday's Ulster Club JFC final, manager Stephen Baxter's reply was succinct.
“It's quite simple,” said the Ballymachugh clubman, “we're going to enjoy it.”
That has been Denn's approach all through. The tragedies which plunged the parish into mourning over the last two years have been well documented and football has been a welcome distraction, with the players and management focusing on the enjoyment it brings; “that's what you play football for” has been a constant mantra of Baxter's.
Having lost the delayed 2020 final against Templeport, they got through the early rounds of the 2021 county championship with a minimum of fuss but certainly looking like there was a slight hangover from that disappointment.
In the county semi-final, they drew 0-10 apiece in a dour battle with Knockbride but something clicked for the replay five days later and the Denn men have been surfing the crest of a wave since, winning that replay comfortably, claiming the county title and picking up the scalps of the Antrim and Derry champions in Ulster to become only the third Cavan club to reach the final of this competition after Drumgoon (2001) and Swanlinbar (2010).
When they take the field against Donegal's Downings on Sunday (St Tiernach's Park, Clones, 1pm), Denn will probably start as slight favourites. The feeling is that the Donegal men, who have a five-hour round trip from the north of the county, rode their luck a little in their semi-final against a fancied Sean McDermotts of Monaghan, who lost county star Niall Kearns to a red card in the first half.
However, Downings are a strong side with vast experience of county and national Gaeltacht finals.
They line out in Division 2 of the Donegal league, although they looked set for the drop this year had there been relegation in the competition.
Their star player is attacker Lorcan Connor, who scored 1-5 in the 2017 Ulster U21 final and is a real handful. The experienced Gary 'Ban' McClafferty came off the bench to land key scores in the second half last week as well.
While Monaghan lead the roll of honour in the Ulster Club JFC, Donegal have been excellent in recent seasons, their representatives having reached the last three finals, winning two, and four of the last six.
Downings will be a well prepared side, managed by Barney Curran who is a brother of well-known Donegal coach Maxi.
“We're switching off after this and we will meet up again tomorrow (Sunday) for a meeting,” Curran told the Donegal News after the game.
“I'll spend most of the day watching the other boys (Denn). Everyone was tipping the Derry boys to come through it. To be honest, I didn't know anything about either of them because we were keeping a total focus and not looking ahead.”
Denn were in a similar position and look well equipped now to finish the job.
They have a terrific spread of scorers including Thomas Edward and Sean Donohoe, Ben Conaty and Cavell Keogan, with the experience of Mossy Corr key at the back.
The physicality and leadership of the Gaffney brothers and Oisin Kiernan has also been crucial, as has the athleticism of Conor O'Reilly and youngster Caolain McCabe.
It is winter football and a close contest is likely but the advantage of having played in Clones last week should stand to the Cavanmen in their third final since August.
The main worry for the Crosskeys-based side is around goalkeeper Mark Fegan, who picked up a red card at the end of the semi-final and is a major loss. His appeal against the red card was unsuccessful.