By Michael McMullan

CEILUM Doherty was the glue in Down’s performance as they ousted back-to-back champions Donegal from the Ulster Championship.

Despite their impressive performance in Letterkenny, every hour counts this week as they tune their engines for a tilt at Armagh on Sunday in Clones.

Standing in the middle of O’Donnell Park, Doherty takes time to gather his breath.

Surrounded by Down fans and words of congratulations, the Kilcoo man has two emotions – the joy of victory is mixed by the realism of what comes next.

Small in stature, he has been a giant in the various Kilcoo and Down crusades.

While he was a forward growing up, his versatility has been used for marking jobs. It’s made him the Down version of a Swiss Army knife. This year is different. Looking at the number 11 jersey he has made his own, you can’t but think of the impact the switch he has made since the newer version of football has bedded in.

“Listen, I don’t care where I play, and that’s truthfully honest,” he said. “I’ll do whatever job. I played as a forward growing up all my life, so you do enjoy that.

“When you play football, especially in the new rules, you want to be a forward.

“You want to get forward. It’s the things that you’re looking at, clips of doing that. I’m delighted in any way I can help the team, I’m more than happy to do it.”

Himself and Eugene Branagan are the same age. Regardless of books, it was more important to have room in the schoolbag for a football on the way to school.

If there wasn’t. it was tucked under the arm. By lunchtime, they’d have the teams picked and they’d play ‘til the bell.

After school, Conor Laverty would be in to coach the next Kilcoo crop.

“We were doing three-man weaves when it was unheard of, with palmed goals. Conor had that bred into us from a young age,” Ceilum said in an interview after landing the 2021 Ulster title.

Fast forward to last Sunday. Ryan McEvoy, Micéal Rooney and Doherty were to the fore. The rest of the Down players were the same. There was brilliance in the weaves.

There was energy and pace that Donegal couldn’t match. When Rooney and Doherty combined for a goal, Down were on the pig’s back and heading for Clones.

“We probably didn’t do ourselves proud in the league final, but we’re just delighted now, for the group,” Doherty said of Sunday’s win.

While Down fans were outnumbered, they made their voices heard. The players responded. The crowd turned the noise up again. And the cycle continued. It was as if it put another jolt into the Down players’ legs. “It was a home game for Donegal, they were pulled out first, so that was always going to be the way,” Doherty said of playing a caldron. “What they’ve done four weeks ago (beating Kerry in the league final) was absolutely unbelievable.

“Watching that game, we could see the level they play at. Donegal will now have four or five weeks now to get ready for the All-Ireland series. God help whoever meets them in the first round.”

For Down, it was time to get the homework done. Every detail of their plan was revised to within an inch. The performance against Wexford in the league final wasn’t good enough. Manager Laverty even recalled the subdued vibe in the Croke Park dressing room. A losing feeling almost. Sunday was totally different. Down didn’t search for the reverse gear. They didn’t reach for the stabilisers. Their plan was to meet Donegal head on and on their own patch.

“We delivered, but we’ve won the first round of Ulster just like every other team,” Doherty added, beginning to put a level of context in their victory.

“The other three teams that are in the semi-final too, that’s all it is. It’s nothing else.”

While the players will be tucked away inside the cocoon of preparation this week, Doherty is fully aware of the imprint Sunday’s win over Donegal will do for the extended Down GAA network.

“The county want to follow a team and you can see that,” he said. “It’s great for the people that travelled to Donegal and believed in us. It’s the same group of people that were here in the first league game, so I am delighted for them as well.”

Belief has been a keyword inside the camp. Laverty emphasised in no uncertain terms before they took the field for the second half. Motivation in its rawest form.

“For this group, that’s how we want to play, at a higher level,” Doherty added. They want a bigger bite of the Sam Maguire buzz they sampled last summer.

“I make no mistake in saying that, but I probably said it a wee bit too much before the league final.”

This week is about recovery and rest. Doherty points to the level Armagh are at. Somewhere in the cream of the crop when it comes to the country conversation. Doherty will think about Armagh. They all will.