DERRY GAA: Belief was key to championship win says Swatragh's James Friel
James Friel said belief was the key to Swatragh's first ever championship hurling victory over Kevin Lynch's in Sunday's Derry Intermediate final at a Storm Ashley lashed Owenbeg.
Friel hit 0-6, including five second half points, as late goals from Cahal Murray and Sean Marty Quinn helped overturn a 0-10 to 0-3 half-time deficit and secured Swatragh's 2-10 to 0-11 victory in a game dictated by the gale like conditions.
The Davitt's had already got the better of the Dungiven men twice in the league this season while the clubs' championship group meeting in August had ended in a draw. That meant Declan McGuckin's men were still chasing that elusive first championship win against Lynch's in Sunday's final and they responded by bringing an intensity matched only but the winds of Storm Ashley.
"An unbelievable win," said a delighted Friel after the five point victory which saw Swatragh outscore Kevin Lynch's by 2-07 to 0-1 with the wind at their backs in the second half.
"The conditions were shocking. It was extremely hard. We had to dig really deep against a Kevin Lynch's team who were never going to give up but that is testament to our boys. We have trained so hard all year.
"We were disappointed in the semi-final against Banagher. We didn't show up on the day but to come out here in the Intermediate final, that's our first ever time beating Lynch's in the championship, so it means something serious to us."
And despite his impressive personal haul of six points, Friel said it was the non-stop work rate of every player in green and white that got the south Derry men over the line for a first Intermediate title since 2020.
"The two goals, they were crucial and only for them it might have been a different story, but we're delighted," he added
"(In the) first half we had to work so hard. We had to dig so deep to even get the ball past the half-way line. To score three points in those conditions was probably worth about 20 given that wind, I'm not joking. It was an unbelievable work rate from our lads but we will enjoy this win tonight.
"We have beaten Lynch's twice in the league this year and drawn with them in the group stages of the championship - a match we thought we should have won. So we had belief in ourselves this year and belief in the work we've done and we showed that today."
Sunday's result sets Swatragh up with an Ulster Championship clash against Fermanagh club Lisbellaw, something Friel said they will turn their attentions to later this week.
"We haven't even thought about it," he added, "This final was our focus and we will enjoy that tonight and over the next couple of days but then look to kick on and get a good platform in Ulster."