Kelly: ‘We’re not finished yet’
By Maitiu Monaghan
Saturday's Monaghan JFC win was a sweet one for Drumhowan manager Paddy Kelly. His side did it the hard way, but emerged from a dog-fight with Aghabog with the title, and an unbeaten run.
How is he feeling?
"Brilliant, deadly," Kelly told the Celt. "Do you know what, I said to the boys during the week, I didn't look past six or seven o clock this evening. Neither did they.
"We live for this hour of football, and it's over now- brilliant."
His Drumhowan side were heavy favourites going into Saturday's final, having already won the League earlier in the year and secured promotion in the process.
However, Storm Boelo was a real leveller and the conditions made it difficult for either team to play any 'real' football.
"People were saying about the storm, but when you're in this bubble, I didn't even think of the weather. I just wanted to get the job done.
"I was actually afraid that the game might be diverted, or it might be put off until tomorrow or something.
"I just wanted it done. Didn't matter to us hail, or rain, we were ready for it.
"I suppose the scores in them conditions probably reflect a big thing. But that’s the thing with these new rules: you have to get scores."
Despite the conditions, Drumhowan had just racked up a tally of 2-20, with Tom Doherty bagging 0-9.
"You wouldn’t believe we won a league without him," Kelly joked of the Drumhowan forward.
"We were glad to get him back, and it’s good to have him there. I don’t think we’d have won the championship without Tom Doherty, and that’s the truth.
"But listen, everybody — I’m not just saying Tom. The boys had to win the frees, the boys had to get him the ball and all, and they’ve all done their job."
It's a short turnaround, but Kelly's Drumhowan are back in action this weekend in the Ulster Junior Club Championship.
Drumhowan have a rich history in the competition, and it is rumoured that they have lofty aspirations to win it outright this season.
"We haven’t spoken about an Ulster campaign," Kelly says. "We’ll work on that after today, after tomorrow.
"These boys, they’re not finished, they’re hungry. You can see it in the way they went for that double. They’re not finished yet.