Sarsfields’ McGeown aiming to take down St Paul’s – and father in law

By Shaun Casey

SARSFIELDS stalwart Eamon McGeown has been lining out in the green and white hooped shirt for two decades and a lot of that time has been spent batting away at the top tier of Armagh club football.

The High Moss men were relegated from senior football last season and having finished in second place in Division 2A, they need to win the Intermediate Championship if they are to make an immediate return to the top grade.

They’re 60 minutes away from completing that objective, with St Paul’s standing in their way on Sunday afternoon. McGeown faces the strange scenario of coming up against his father-in-law, Shane McConville, the St Paul’s manager.

Sarsfields are currently celebrating 15 years from their last championship success.

Back in 2010, they won the intermediate and getting their hands back on the Atty Hearty Cup would be the perfect way to crown that anniversary.

The likes of McGeown, along with his younger brother Paul, were part of that squad. So were the Stevenson siblings. Colin and Michael. Paul McCaughey too. Tommy McAlinden. They’re all hunting another championship medal this weekend.

“There’s probably seven or eight boys from that team still playing,” said McGeown, who put in a terrific shift in the middle of the field for his side as they overcame Grange in the semi-finals two weeks ago.

“Back in 2010, we played Culloville, and we were big underdogs going into the final that year, we had a tightknit team back then as well.

“It’s just our community, everyone is behind us and we’re all pushing in the same way, supporters included. We’ve knuckled down this last white and we’ll be ready for the final.”

While the older crowd are desperate for that championship winning feeling once again, there’s a steady stream of youngsters in the Sarsfields dressing room that want to experience it for themselves.

The fresh legs have really sparked something in Sarsfields this season. For too long it was the same players with the same old story and why they have served their club well, and continue to do so, fresh blood was badly needed around the place.

Not only has that bolstered their play on the field, but it gives their management team of John McGuckin and Gareth Devlin plenty of options off the bench. The last day out, their substitutes’ bench was as strong as it’s ever been.

Kevin McAlinden, not long home from Australia, was introduced as were Michael Stevenson and Sean McAlinden. In years gone by, those three were guaranteed starters and some of the first names on the team sheet.

“The young boys stood up this year and pushed us older boys are. The likes of Conal (McCann), Luka (Donnelly), they have plenty of legs and pace which we have lacked over the years but it’s great to have that now.

“We haven’t really had a bench over the years either and we’ve soldiered on with the same players but now we have a bench, and everyone has put their shoulder to the wheel, we’re all one team.”