Brady: Gowna hungry to make the most of another final chance

Damien Donohoe

Gowna captain Conor Brady says there was never any doubt about his side’s appetite to go again after last year’s county final disappointment, with the club’s football culture driving them back to another Senior Championship decider.

Gowna face defending champions Kingscourt Stars on Sunday and, while last year’s defeat remains in the background, Brady does not believe it has been the main motivation.

“I’m not sure if last year fed into it that much,” he said. “Of course, it’s still there in the back of your head, but we have a young team that is use to playing football from one end of the year to the other, probably since they were five or six.

“It was just about getting back on the horse. There was never any question about whether the lads had the hunger to go again. Whether you had won or lost last year, they were going to be back at it this year.”

That desire to keep playing is something Brady sees as part of Gowna’s identity.

“When the football finishes, lads are back doing their own bit as individuals,” he explained. “That’s more out of their own desire to do it rather than management putting something in place. It is a culture thing. The lads just want to keep going and keep playing football.”

Gowna’s history is never far from the conversation, with previous generations having amassed major success, but Brady says the current group are not consumed by comparisons.

“I’d say that’s more outside slagging than anything else,” he smiled. “We get a bit of slagging about it around here too. We’re a long way off those teams yet. But if we got anywhere close to what they achieved, we’d be doing well.”

This year’s championship began with a difficult draw against Ballyhaise, but Gowna have built momentum since.

“The first round against Ballyhaise was difficult. Ballyhaise were flying, they were really up for it and they got two good goals at the start of the second half,” Brady recalled. “We were disappointed leaving that game, but first-round championship games are something we’ve struggled with over the last couple of years. We’ve usually been slow starters.”

“But the lads dug in after that. We’ve managed to keep a lot of bodies on the field for the majority of the championship. We haven’t had a full hand at every stage, but we’ve been in better shape than in previous years. That helps when you’re trying to build from game to game. Since the second round against Crosserlough, we’ve been fairly consistent with the team, and that always helps.”

Brady himself has enjoyed a better run with injuries this season.

“Getting a clean slate at the end of last year and then being able to build fitness and game time has definitely helped,” he said.

“With injuries, sometimes there can be a knock-on effect when you’re pushing to get back and you haven’t fully recovered. Hopefully it continues.”

Standing in Gowna’s way are a Kingscourt side Brady has plenty of respect for.

“Kingscourt are a top side and they have been for the last number of years,” he said. “They have a good spread of county players and a good mixture in terms of age and the type of footballers they have throughout the team. We’re expecting a very tight battle in the final. They’re going well and there’s a reason they’re back there again.”

Earlier this year manager Vinnie Corey added former Laois player Ross Munnelly to the management set-up.

“Ross came in halfway through the year and he’s been great,” he said. “His training sessions are brilliant and he has brought a freshness to everything we’ve done. The management team work very well together and Ross has been brilliant since he came in.”