By Michael McMullan

IT might have been a first taste of Ulster in 35 years, but defeat to Clann Éireann cut Newbridge deep last year.

The Derry champions are back in the arena this weekend when Dunloy visit Owenbeg on Saturday night.

“It’s definitely been talked about,” said Ryan McElhone of last year’s defeat. McElhone is part of the management team under Kevin Brady and Gary Hetherington.

“I think that maybe there has a bit of commentary around that time that maybe it didn’t mean as much to us as people thought.

“The players and the management were gutted after the Clann Éireann match. It was a game that we felt we definitely could have won, and it just got away from us in the end.”

The Derry champions retained their title via the back door. After losing to Dungiven in the first round, Newbridge navigated their way back to the quarter-finals.

Despite being pushed all the way by Steelstown, Sleacht Néill and Magherafelt, the John McLaughlin Cup returned as they annexed a 12th senior title.

“Going into the final, that’s probably something that we felt we had over Magherafelt,” McElhone offered.

“We had been in those two really tight games that had gone right to the final whistle.

“Steelstown had the ball in possession and they would have needed a two-pointer. Then, obviously, Sleacht Néill is well documented what happened in the finish of that game, so it was right to the wire.

“So, we knew if it came to that in Magherafelt, and that gives players confidence. You know, when you’ve been in those games and those situations, if they arise in a game, it’s not new to you.

“We felt that going into the final and getting over the line in all those three games probably made it 10 times better than it was last year.”

McElhone points to the “massive part” Brady and Hetherington played in their success. There is also the input from Danny Doherty’s conditioning.

There is also a playing group who had been to two semi-finals. Despite two heavy defeats, there was a belief the tools where there with more young players fusing into the group.

“Obviously, there’s the whole family and brothers side of things,” said McElhone. Only goalkeeper Nathan Rocks and Paddy McMullan from the starting team against Magherafelt didn’t have a brother or cousin in the squad.

“Then there is the age profile of those guys coming through every couple of years and the quality that they’re bringing, adding that in each year.”

Coming into the group, they are following the standards set by Conor Doherty, Paudi and Conor McGrogan.

“When you come into that group, you have to live to those standards,” McElhone added.

“The young boys have an experience at county and schools’ level, bring their own enthusiasm and standards as well. So, the whole thing mixed together has had a real positive result.”

Looking ahead to Saturday, the mindset is the same as last season. It’s all about Dunloy, like it was with Clann Éireann.

“We have a really tough game against Dunloy coming up, and that’s all that anybody’s thinking about,” McElhone concluded.