Glen looking max effort in final

GLEN selector Johnny Bradley insists the Watties need a “monumental effort” and need to perform to their max to keep their hands on the John McLaughlin Cup on Sunday at Celtic Park.

They put their Derry, Ulster and All-Ireland titles on the line against a Newbridge side bridging a 33-year gap from the club’s last appearance in the final.

A win and Glen will join Bellaghy and Sleacht Néill as four-in-a-row winners of the title. It’s something Bradley is not even entertaining.

“We are just literally looking in front of ourselves, I wouldn’t even say an inch but the 10 millimetres in front of our face.”

Bradley refers to needing late scores to see off Lavey in the quarter-final that was level 10 times and a semi-final win over Sleacht Néill. Glen led by four points but needed Jody McDermott’s goal to cushion their neighbours’ comeback.

Glen’s season has been a slow burner. With their county men away, the league was about ticking over.

After losing to Sleacht Néill in the championship group stages, they had Ethan Doherty to thank for giving them enough daylight ahead of Sunday’s final. “We know how difficult the Derry Championship is, it’s so coveted and everybody’s looking to get one,” Bradley said.

“We really appreciate how important it is. That’s the major objective since we came back after the All-Ireland last year. We wanted to perform the best we could in the Derry Championship and we just took it step by step. Thankfully we’re in the final.”

Playmaking duo Jack Doherty and Ciaran McFaul may be closer to getting the nod after injury with Doherty not kicking a ball since being forced off in the All-Ireland semi-final win over Kilmacud Crokes. Any involvement will be a boost but Glen can also take heart from how they dug themselves out of difficult moments when the knock-out element arrived.

Speaking after edging Dungiven in the group stages, Bradley spoke of how Glen were the hunted and everyone else lifting their game.

“Any reigning champion has a target on their back,” he said ahead of Sunday’s showdown.

“If you’ve watched Derry Championships over the last decade, you’ll know that these games take their life on their own.”

There are times when opposition momentum needs stemmed. And when the game is in the melting pot, there is the hope the players on the other side of the like make the right decisions in the key moments.

It’s the time for cool heads and trusting everyone around them.

Glen have been there and stuck to the process.

It has taken them back to the club’s fifth final. Before Sunday, it has been Magherafelt and Sleacht Néill. Now it’s Newbridge who they beat in the 2022 semi-final.

“They have really been building over the last two or three years,” pointing to their results in both league and championship.

“They had a massive, massive win against Bellaghy. They showed serious character to come back after going to extra-time and you can see the quality that they have.

“Their team’s changed a lot (since 2022). They’ve a lot more youth, they’ve been really coming strong at underage and they’ve got those leaders there as well.

“They are really, really pacy, they look for work all the time and Kevin (Brady) and Gary (Hetherington) have got them going really, really well.

“We know that in Celtic Park, it’s going to take a monumental effort from us. We just want to make sure we perform the best we can.”