By Michael McMullan
SCOTSTOWN’S Michéal McCarville says it’s very difficult to prepare for the pressure cooker of the Ulster Club Championship.
The midfielder feels the strength of their panel stands to them as they prepare for crunch games.
The reigning champions needed two big plays to secure possession at crucial times in their extra-time win over Magherafelt in their first provincial outing of the campaign.
When Magherafelt went one up in stoppage time, a kick-out to Damien McArdle began the move and Nicky Sherlock’s point forced extra-time.
It was the same at the end of extra-time when Magherafelt shaved Scotstown’s six-point lead to the bare minimum. Beggan’s kick to Max Maguire closed the door on any hopes of Scotstown letting the game slip.
“No better man to step up and get that ball to the end but Max,” McCarville said.
“We have serious trust in all the boys that we have there but it doesn’t make it any easier. The game is never over.”
McCarville kicked a vital score in the second-half after Magherafelt’s run of four successive points turned a dramatic contest on its head.
“With the quality of opposition, every ball is needed on our end and your heart is in your mouth,” McCarville admitted.
“The plan goes out the window I suppose, whenever you get a box in the mouth (referring to the famous Mike Tyson quote).
“It’s very, very hard to prepare for it,” he added. “You can try your best to replicate it in training and we’re very lucky that we have a serious, serious panel of men.”
Scotstown now take on St Eunan’s in the semi-final with Crossmaglen up against Edendork on the other side of the draw.
The fact that St Eunan’s manager Kieran Donnelly has guided Scotstown to Monaghan titles adds another level of spice to the game.
“There’s going to be no stone unturned for them analysing us, and for us analysing them,” McCarville adding, full of enthusiasm for being involved at the cutting end of club football once again.
“It’s such a strong championship and everyone says it, it feels like it’s the best competition in the world, really,” he added.
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“You see the drama with two serious teams, Gowna and Cross going up against each other. St Eunan’s and Erne Gaels, they’re all champions in their own right. We’re in the hat for another day, but we’ll have plenty to look at.”
McCarville typifies what club players can become. As a late developer, he has blossomed at midfield alongside his childhood hero Darren Hughes.
It took him time to break into both the Scotstown and Monaghan teams but he is now a regular fixture in the engine room. He’s well-placed to comment on what the white heat of championship looks like.
“The talk is whenever you get further on in the championships, the air gets a wee bit thinner all the time,” he said of the midfield battleground.
“These teams that are full of quality, like Eoin McEvoy, Dan Higgins – these guys are county players and they’re playing at the top of their game.
“They’re probably only coming into their prime now, 25, 26, 27 years of age.
“You can’t really replicate it (playing in the championship) but we’re probably lucky.
“Look at last years’ experience and even look at how many times we tried to win in Ulster Club.
“We’ve a lot of experience in the competition and that probably helps.
“To be honest, in the last 10 minutes (against Magherafelt), I don’t know what experience helps you. We we went four or five up, but it still took the last play to get over the line.”