St Nathys Make Five In a Row
St Nathys Make Five In a Row
October 15, 2022
Report By Emma Gallagher
He did what his father did in the late nineties and St Nathy’s manager Eoin McDonagh has achieved the five in a row with this St Nathy’s team who won the Senior title in Markievicz Park on Saturday.
They had a tough tussle with Neil Egan’s Tourlestrane, in their first ever Senior decider and the manager said they knew going into the game how tough it was going to be.
“I thought we started very well, massive start, but we kind of switched off and then Tourlestrane got their purple patch. Going in two points up at half-time I knew even though we were leading in the first half it was nothing, experience showed in the end I think the youth came in Blaithinn Lavin I thought was just immaculate when she came in, but look we knew this was going to be the toughest one.
“She’s just turned 17 there last week, she’ll be playing under 16 this year. She is just a talent, she is unbelievable, she has a turn of pace and skill and to come in and affect a senior county final is just a brilliant achievement and they’re actually going straight to Kildare now for a family dinner, so it was brilliant to have them here.”
Player of the match Denise McGrath was exceptional in the first half and then came off injured but returned and make another impact.
“She had a niggle at half-time and we thought she was probably gone but look it’s a county final and in the heat of the battle you do whatever you can to keep going and she came to me at half-time and said we’re going back in.
“100% it can be a risk, but we have to look at two weeks’ time now with Leitrim and it was a risk with Denise coming back in with injury but look, we’re there now and we can deal with that.
“When she came in she just got those dirty balls that had to be got, it’s immaculate the way
He praised his team overall for their sensational performance.
“Yeah definitely we have three or four players coming through every year just breathing new talent, look I think some people might have said we were finished but look we are still here again, so another one, five in a row, it’s nice to get.”
His father Liam also achieved five in a row with St Nathy’s in the nineties, which is a remarkable feat.
“Liam done it back in the 90s but we didn’t look into that too much during the week, but it’s nice to have, but there has been other managers as well George, James and John O’Hara went through there in the last five years, so it’s been a collective effort from everyone and we’re here now and we have five.”
The county champions now play the winners of Leitrim, Glencar/Manor who defeated Ballinamore on Sunday.
“Yes home advantage now in two weeks’ time with the Leitrim champions,” McDonagh said.
In terms of their opponents on Saturday, he said they very much are a team with a bright future ahead.
He said this is the start of a new rivalry between the south Sligo sides.
“Oh definitely yeah, when I took the job this year I kind of said that this year straightaway who I had eyed up in a county final.
“It was definitely going to be Tourlestrane, they are in immaculate side to be fair, the youth they have coming through and it’s only a matter of time before they do win a county championship but look it’s a case of us holding onto it now as long as we can, but I can guarantee you one thing within the next two or three years they are definitely going to have a county title.
“They’re a brilliant side, I was caught out myself at Tourlestrane playing hurling and it is a tricky one, but it’s brilliant to be here today,” he said.