Corcoran not taking finals for granted

Lurgan captain Eimear Corcoran admits there is a strong sense of relief in her camp to have made it back to the county final after a nerve-shredding semi-final against Killygarry.

“We’ve had another great year, although feeling quite relieved and grateful, I think, this year to get through that semi-final, Killygarry were really, really strong. So yeah, forever grateful to get to the final when it comes around, you don’t take them for granted anyway,” she said.

That game went to the wire and was eventually decided by a free-kick shoot-out. Corcoran says it was an experience like no other.

“I was personally a ball of nerves. I didn’t go well with it, and thankfully I didn’t have to take one. But in fairness to the girls who did, they were so calm, and I think that’s what really helped us in the end, they were just really focused, and that is what got us over the line.

“It was really hard to watch. It was probably maybe worse watching it, because when you have one to take, maybe you’re better able to concentrate and that kind of thing. But it was a hard one to watch and, yeah, definitely, a situation like that can go either way so quickly.

“Your best freetaker may not put it over. It’s just one kick of a ball. I didn’t doubt the girls anyway, they slotted them over, and they were brilliant. But yeah, that was the first time I’ve ever had to do that with any of the teams. Something new. Would I like to do it again? No!”

For the Lurgan skipper, the build-up to this year’s final has not felt all that different from 12 months ago.

“It hasn’t felt overly different, really. We kind of just have trained like we always have done, and we’re not, I guess, thinking about it differently in a certain way. Yeah, it does come with that extra bit of pressure (as champions), but it’s definitely the type of pressure that you don’t really let yourself succumb under. So yeah, I guess the narrative maybe is a little bit different coming into it but no, as a player, I actually don’t really feel overly different to last year.”

Facing Crosserlough again adds an extra edge.

“We haven’t gotten to play them, obviously, because they were in a different group for the championship. So yeah, it’s always such a tough game, they’re an excellent team and always have been. It’s always one that we need to put a lot of preparation into and the game always ends up being so, so tough so we’re prepared for a battle, certainly, and I think it’ll be an exciting game.”

Corcoran also feels that while the loss of Emma Tolan to basketball in the United States is significant, the squad has replenished itself well.

“Yeah, definitely. We’re going in with a full squad now, and yeah, a huge blow not to have Emma but we strengthened it up with the two Lynchs coming back, and other girls have stepped up that wouldn’t have had their place last year, and they do this year. So that kind of naturally happens every year. And fair play to the girls, they’ve slotted in well to the team, and we’ve gelled well, I think, together over the last couple of weeks and months and so, yeah, happy enough going into it anyway.”