• 7 hours ago
We spoke to Carrickcruppen manager Barry Flynn after his side defeated St Paul's to win the Intermediate Championship title.
Transcript
00:00First of all, congratulations. How does that feel at the minute to be Intermediate Champions again?
00:05It's great. Very, very tight game. I knew we'd go to the wire with some pause. They're a really good side.
00:11They're really resilient. This is our fourth final. They keep coming back with serious firepower up front.
00:17We've done our best to try and nullify it but the weather probably didn't help in that.
00:21One half you're camped in trying to hold out against the breeze and the other half you're trying to make the most of it.
00:26I think we over-kicked a few times. They were really nit-picking.
00:29Goal chances early on, we could have killed that game in the first 10 or 15 minutes.
00:34We had probably three clear enough goal chances. We didn't get them but we've done enough.
00:41Probably relief more than anything. It's a long build-up and with the weather, you're panicked this morning.
00:45Is it on? Is it off? People are going, will it be off? Don't tell me that. I just wanted to play it.
00:51Relief more than anything to get a bit out.
00:54The weather was a big story and you played into the breeze in the first half.
00:58You started the game well but they've all got that goal just before half-time.
01:02At half-time, were you relatively content to be four points down?
01:06Probably not given the way the half went but at the start of the game it would have took that.
01:13Obviously the carry with Mernon inside is a huge threat.
01:17I'm near screaming that he's a push in the back but I think some people have seen the video and don't think it was.
01:23He's just got that leap and creates goals out of nothing.
01:26Our shot today would have been if we can keep Manly to only getting points it would be OK.
01:31But he got the goal but I thought we had got on top and played on the front foot a wee bit early on.
01:36Maybe just retracted into our shell a wee bit. Happens with lads in big games.
01:42At half-time, definitely happy enough to go right at four points.
01:46I've seen it before where teams rest in their hours.
01:49They would have really strong ball-carriers.
01:52Aaron McCorry carrying the ball, Antoine, Owen McConville.
01:57Even at the back in the semi-final where he grinds and up-kicks scores.
02:00They have that threat anyway. It's still going to be difficult but we've got the job done.
02:05Absolutely. In the second half, you won the Man of the Match award.
02:08I thought you really stood up and kicked important scores and got that goal in a big time.
02:11Are you very happy with what you got from him?
02:13He and Owen have an ongoing battle. I'm giving out to him all the time.
02:17I'm saying, need more, need more. He's like, give me the points, what else do you want?
02:22Maybe ten. But I think he's got incredible potential. I don't think he's near his ceiling.
02:28I had a spell with Armagh and he picked up injuries that second year.
02:32He came on against Galway in 22, 23 injuries and it just didn't go well for him.
02:38He took time out this year and he's getting motoring but I still think there's a higher ceiling for him.
02:44But big games, he's a big game player. When you need a score, he'll dig one out.
02:50Some of his goals, it's unbelievable. The finish is cool.
02:54I think a lot of other players would have tapped it over in that situation and he rolled it in the corner.
02:58He's been fairly prolific all year.
03:02You're getting assists from Soffo and Kane, who's come through there.
03:06Tierney Kerry back in the squad today.
03:09Cal, probably not Cal's best day but he's come up with scores for us all year too.
03:14The frustrating thing for us is that it's probably patchy.
03:18Everything's patchy.
03:20Hur in the group, first two games played well.
03:23After the first 20 minutes again, Tully's done really good in the first half.
03:26I think that was more of a battling performance.
03:29Adam Matthews was interviewed after the semi-final and said we've come round it and we can play it anyway.
03:35I think we have that flexibility. It gives us great belief in the squad that we can go to the end all the time.
03:42You've mentioned his name already. Tierney Kelly came up with that heroic point at the end of the game.
03:47It's a great way to win a game obviously. How did that feel on the sidelines?
03:51It was magic. You're looking at the clock going what's left?
03:54Give them another kick out.
03:57That's the way things go. If you were in shoes on the other foot you'd be screaming for more time.
04:03It was a great finish. Tierney's a professional soccer player, there's no other way about it.
04:08That gives me an income. He played a chunk of the league for us.
04:16In and out he's trained a wee bit in pieces but not really full time.
04:19That gives you, you can't really get in.
04:21The last couple of weeks he's jumped back in.
04:24I think some people go how does that work?
04:27Tierney's played for Carker for 18 years of his life.
04:31His dad's on the squad, his brother's on the squad.
04:34He runs a bit with all them boys so it wasn't even a question.
04:38You became available, you're talking.
04:41I think he gives a bit of bite.
04:44Because he didn't play in a challenge last year, he played a reserve challenge this year and we won that back in the summer time.
04:49It's been a really positive year overall.
04:52Three weeks now and we go to play the Derry Champions.
04:55We'll get to Derry next Sunday to watch the final.
04:58We've got a number 21 semi-final to come as well.
05:00Busy, but when you're busy at this time of year you're doing well.
05:03It's a good time for the club isn't it?
05:06It is, that's the sixth final we've played in this year.
05:09Miners were beating two.
05:12You think there's that weigh on some of the lads.
05:14Owen Kane and Micheal Cuse who had played in two finals at A grade football at Miner and didn't win.
05:21I think the semi-final two boys were here very early.
05:23We came in cars, very nervous.
05:26But that comes with youth.
05:29Settling heads around them and chatting to them this week about just how they're playing the game.
05:33I don't think they were at their absolute very best out there but they're getting better.
05:38These big games that stand with them boys in the future.
05:41We're trying to build, we're trying to get to senior football.
05:44We're there now, that was a game at the start of the year.
05:48Oakes rightly won the league, we're the most consistent team.
05:51We're there now back in senior and we hope to make a better fist of it than we did the last time.
05:56Thanks for your time, enjoy the celebrations.

Recommended