Slow start can’t be repeated – warns Derrylaughan keeper Kennedy

DESPITE his side recovering from a nightmare opening spell to progress in the Ulster Club Championship, Derrylaughan keeper James Kennedy has warned there can be no repeat of such a tardy start in the next round.

The Kevin Barrys are away to All-Saints Ballymena this Saturday as they continue their provincial quest, having seen off Donegal champions Termon at the weekend past in Omagh.

The signs looked pretty bleak for Derrylaughan when they fell behind 1-4 to no score after just ten minutes at O’Neill’s Healy Park, though James Kennedy feels that conceding the goal actually helped to fire up his side.

“ I probably contributed a bit to it too with the goal they got. But it maybe took that to get us going. We came out a bit flat which was unlike us as we tended to come out of the traps well in the Championship all season. I suppose that shows that we can win both ways.

“ It was a setback falling behind by seven points but it was great the way we then kicked into gear and I thought we were probably the better team throughout. But in fairness to them they are a classy outfit.

“ They had some big men and had the mobility to get around the ground well but it’s just great to be in the next round.”

The 31-year old teacher admitted that Derrylaughan’s poor start may have been due in part to a post-Tyrone Championship hangover, with the players understandably on cloud nine over the past fortnight, after seeing off Moy in the County Final.

“ To be fair they (Termon) had a month off since their Donegal Final and we just had two weeks. We did go out and enjoy it for a number of days after which you are going to do. You have to celebrate these Championship wins because they don’t come around too often.

“ We just have to make sure we don’t get off to the same bad start next week because All-Saints are going to be a different proposition altogether.”

Kennedy feels that the Ballymena boys will represent a significant step-up from Termon, though he hopes a bit of inside knowledge will work in their favour, with former Antrim player Kevin Niblock in charge of the Barrys this season.

“ We have the right man involved in Kevin Niblock. He has been through Ulster Club football in his own playing days and he said to us there is different ways to win a match. Prior to this we had led every game from pillar to post in the Tyrone Championship so to come from behind in Ulster is maybe not a bad thing. Hopefully it will stand to us.

“ We have three Antrim men over us so they will know the opposition pretty well. ‘Baker’ Bradley is over them so it will be a tough test. They came third in the Antrim Division One league so they are no mugs. We have our work cut out for us but hopefully we get there. It will be another great day for the club.

“ After we won Tyrone we had two or three days really enjoying it but from the Tuesday night we knuckled down again. Kevin called us together and we drew a line under it. We had a great couple of days but now we have a new chapter to write hopefully.

“ We are a very small club on the corner of Lough Neagh, with Maghery of Armagh on one side of us and Clonoe on the other side of us, with Ardboe down the other way so we need to make the most of these opportunities as they won’t come around too often.”

Attacker Tomas Carney was the stand out performer for Derrylaughan last Saturday, contributing 1-6 across the hour and proving a real handful for the opposition defence. Kennedy stated that it was a real bonus to have a forward of that calibre in their midst.

“ He’s a brilliant player and real leader for us. But he would be the first to say we are more than just a couple of individuals. It takes everyone pitching in if you want to be successful. Our defensive unit have been brilliant all year.

“ But Tomas it goes without saying is a class act. You would go a long way to find a better forward than him at this period of time. Whether from free kicks or from play he is a super addition for us. Thank god he is a Derrylaughan man.”