Butlersbridge boss enjoying the journey

By Niall Gartland

BUTLERSBRIDGE won the Cavan Intermediate Championship as recently as 2021, but manager Keelan Melaniff believes that it’s a big ask for a non-Division One team in Cavan to win the competition.

Two of the last four remaining teams – Arva and Cuchulainn’s – finished mid-table in Division One this year while Butlersbridge and their semi-final opponents Denn plied their trade in the second division.

Melaniff, who managed Killygarry to a Cavan Senior Championship final appearance to 2022 alongside Jody Devine, has enjoyed Butlersbridge’s journey but he isn’t getting carried away either.

“Are we a little further down the road than we thought? Possibly, but we’re relishing the journey. It’s very hard when you’re up against teams like Arva, they’re reigning All-Ireland Junior champions, they’re favourite for Intermediate and rightly so, and they’re playing in Division One.

“It’s the same with Cuchulainn’s, they’re another Division One team and it makes a huge difference. But look, we’re taking it a day at a time and we’ll see how it goes.”

On Sunday they take on Denn for a place in the final. Denn were crowned Ulster Junior Champions in 2021 and they’ve shown good progression since, reaching last year’s Intermediate final showdown where they lost to a really solid Ballyhaise team.

Melaniff commented: “Ballyhaise won that game convincingly but it takes a good team to come back from a defeat in a final and Denn have done that.

“They’re littered with good footballers and there’s the old adage that you have to lose one to win one. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know, but look, we’re expecting a tough, tough battle. Their coach was actually the manager of Butlersbridge when they won the championship in 2021 so he’ll know our lads inside out as well.”

Butlersbridge’s most well-known footballer is Cavan forward Caoimhin O’Reilly and they can call upon many of the other players who landed the Intermediate title in 2021. They have had some injury problems this season but have managed to keep the show on the road.

“There’s been some changes since 2021 but the majority of the panel is still there. The biggest name that isn’t there is John Fitzpatrick, he’s emigrated and is a huge loss.

“We also lost our captain midway through the league to a cruciate injury, Diarmuid McCorry, and he’s out for the rest of the year.

“When you lose your captain it leaves a bit of a void and takes a bit of rejigging but lads have stepped up and we’ve shared the responsibility collectively.”