Manager Kelly praises Ederney’s resolve

By Mark McGoldrick

‘DELIGHT is definitely the word, relief, happiness, everything,” was how a beaming Chris Kelly summed up Sunday’s showdown with Kinawley, after his side booked their place in a championship semi-final against Enniskillen Gaels this Sunday.

The sides couldn’t be separated after a titanic 80-minute battle and it took a late point from wing-half back Luke Harron to seal victory for the St Joseph’s men, ensuring their safe passage through to the last four of the championship.

Ederney manager, Chris Kelly, was delighted with his team’s character and resilience.

“We knew it was going to be [a massive challenge against Kinawley],” Kelly said..

“We knew it was going to be tight the whole way through and to win that the way we did in the end was unbelievable. I can’t speak highly enough of that group.”

The St Joseph’s men, playing against a strong breeze in the first half, were seven points down at the break. The Ederney boss was pleased with the composure and calmness shown by his players.

“Even in the first half, we were playing into the wind and we tried to keep it within touching distance,” Kelly said.

“We regrouped at half time and knew that we had made four goal chances and we were still in a position to win the game.

“I can’t fault them boys. The boys that are here, from the boys that played to the boys that didn’t feature, our training is something else.”

Ederney’s experienced players like Martin McGrath, Chris Snow and the McCusker brothers, Paul and Declan, came to the fore in the latter periods of the game.

Youngsters Shay Deazley and Shaun McCarron also impressed for Ederney, with the St Joseph’s manager crediting his team’s determination.

“We knew what we’d get from the experienced boys and it was going to come down to them younger boys who were going to dictate how the game went,” said Kelly.

“I thought they were excellent. The fact they played the full period is testament to how they keep themselves in shape.”

Kelly’s charges now look forward to a semi-final against Enniskillen Gaels. The Ederney boss is relishing the challenge of taking on Simon Bradley’s side on Sunday.

“I don’t think anyone in the county gave us a prayer of getting out of the group,” he said. “We played very well against Devenish to make sure we did.

“Our thoughts on the game was to make sure we were in the senior championship and this was a free hit for us and we were confident we could win the game.”