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By Michael McMullan
LOUGHMACRORY manager Martin Boyle’s immediate emotion was one of disappoinytment after his team’s exit from the Ulster Championship at the hands of Kilcoo on Saturday night.
Boyle felt his side didn’t get to “the pitch” of the performances that delivered an historic first Tyrone title.
He also feels the group are only getting going and the challenge is to “double down” on their efforts next season.
Loughmacrory settled well but the Down champions got to grips of the game and looked in control until a late rally saw Boyle’s side back to within three points.
“The biggest feeling is disappointment in the fact that we didn’t get up to the pitch of our performance that we’ve become accustomed to delivering during the Tyrone championship,” Boyle said, minutes after the game.
“As a young group, Ulster Club Football is a different ball game to county championship football in many ways.
“It’s further into the winter, it’s wetter and softer conditions, so in many ways it’s a learning curve.”
It’s Kilcoo’s 12th foray into Ulster in the last 14 years, losing to Burren in the 2018 final and with Covid-19 ruling out a provincial competition two years later.
“You can’t buy the experience that Kilcoo have at this level,” Boyle added. “They’ve been road tested so many times.
“It’s a different competition in many ways and it’s a different type of football. At this moment in time, straight after the final whistle, that’s what you’re feeling.
“That the experience was something that really stood to them (Kilcoo).
“They dogged it out, they were aggressive in the right way, so, it’s a learning curve for our boys.”
In a season they were without injured duo Antoin Fox and Eoin Donaghy, a shoulder injury to Cathal Donaghy curtained his involvement over the hour.
Donaghy’s 0-5 tally was central to Loughmacrory’s win over Trillick and he was doubt going into Saturday’s Ulster showdown.
“It was a decision in the warm up,” Boyle said of Donaghy starting the game.
“It says everything about Cathal; he completed 60 minutes with the injury that he has. What a man, what a player and you could see he wasn’t really himself this evening. Listen, he was never going to be in a position where he wasn’t going to take the field.”
Boyle paid tribute to the character and effort of the Loughmacrory players who he said went down having poured everything into the game.
The one regret was the execution of some of the basic skill, something they pride themselves on.
He caveated it with two factors, the difficult conditions and the pressure from Kilcoo.
“We have a lot of quality and a lot of good characters and a lot of lads that are made of the right stuff,” Boyle said.
When the dust settles, they can look back on a season that saw them make history and Boyle feels it’s only the beginning for the Loughmacrory squad.
“That’s the challenge now,” he said. “Sometimes success can dampen the hunger and soften you a bit. The challenge for these boys now is to get back on the horse again, and double down on their efforts for next year.”
