Rossa want to turn potential into titles

By Michael McMullan

TURNING potential into titles. That’s the focus for Conor McCluskey and Magherafelt ahead of Sunday’s clash Newbridge.

It’s a repeat of last year’s encounter with Magherafelt on the wrong end of a one-point margin.

When Gavin Devlin came in as manager last year, he made McCluskey the captain. In a shuffle of the chairs, Enda Muldoon is now manager, Devlin is still on board with Stephen Kernan coming on board this season.

“Being captain of your club is a special thing,” McCluskey said. “When I was given it I kind of jumped at the chance.

“Being injured the year before (2024), I felt like I owed the club one in a weird way and being given the responsibility of captain was something I really savoured and it’s a big honour for me.”

McCluskey is one of six players still on board from their last winning team 2019. They lost their title the following 12 months later to a Sleacht Néill team coached by Gavin Devlin.

They have also come up short against Glen (2023 final) and last year. While they have been consistently among the county’s top teams, McCluskey states the obvious.

“That one in 2019 is a long time ago now,” he said of his championship medal.

“It’s all well and good talking about potential, but you have to realise that potential.

“The young boys coming through now have an unbelievably exciting age profile of a team.

“Now they have to come of age and we have to come of age as well. We are now experienced players and you have to use that experience to help them and start turning finals into silverware.”

Fancied

Magherafelt went into last year’s final as the fancied team. They lost Paddy McLarnon early in the game but still had a chance to win the game late on only for a late Shea McGuckin chance to peel wide.

McCluskey says there is no baggage from the final and admits that Newbridge were the better team but highlights the key takeaway.

“You can’t completely forget about it,” he said. “Probably the most disappointing thing from last year was we didn’t win the arm wrestle, that battle side of it.

“It’s all well and good being beaten by the better team in the day and Newbridge the better team on the day.

“To lose the arm wrestle and the dog fight part of it, that’s the sickening part and that’s the part that from this moment on we are setting out never to let that happen again.”