Proud Steelstown manager backs players to come back stronger from Championship heartbreak

The 1-12 to 1-08 defeat in Bellaghy was the club’s third Intermediate final defeat in 10 years with Gibson now having experienced heartbreak as both player and manager. Despite his obvious disappointment, the Brian Ogs manager had nothing but praise for his players whom he backed to return stronger for the experience.

“We will be back. Sooner or later we will get over this hill and when we do eventually scale that hill hopefully it pushes the whole club on and we can go from strength to strength,” explained Gibson.

“It will come, it will definitely come. No one doubts the talent is there within the club to do it. This is not an old panel, there is plenty of more to come from these players and we will be back battling harder than ever.

“That panel of boys is unbelievable. Football was shut down for as many months as it was but they came back in some serious shape. They came back, got their heads down and pushed away, working hard for each other.

“That doesn’t come from me, it doesn’t come from Raymond (Tracey), it comes from within themselves. They are a fabulous bunch of fellas. They keep themselves to themselves, train hard, work hard, but unfortunately today wasn’t to be our day.”

The Ballyarnett men were well positioned at 1-07 to 0-06 two minutes into the second half following Cahir McMonagle’s superb soccer style goal but Greenlough’s greater experience proved the difference on the day with Enda Lynn and Niall Loughlin critical to the what was St Oliver Plunkett’s second Intermediate championship victory in five years.

“What can you say, it wasn’t our day, it was Greenlough’s day,” lamented Gibson, “I’m sure, as a group, we will go away and have a look at the game and what we could have done better, but we will come back, as we always do.

“We will blow the cobwebs off for a while now but I’m sure these boys will get back at it again and give it another go next season.

“Yes (we were in a good position after the goal), but things didn’t work out the way we hoped. There were a couple of sloppy things we did which was unlike us, coughing up possession or giving away frees we didn’t really need to give away.

“Look, wet conditions, a slippy ball, I think it was always going to be whichever team made the least mistakes that was going to win. There was nothing in it. Greenlough got that goal at the end but sure if a black card had been shown for the foul, maybe we would have had one more chance but, yeah, it’s difficult to take.”