Crosserlough seek to do themselves justice

Damian McCarney

Back at the same stage where they were eliminated last year, Crosserlough are determined to put in a performance they can be proud of in this weekend’s All Ireland semi-final in Edgeworthstown.

The key to them making that giant step forward to the All Ireland finals will be down to their workrate and their point blank refusal to accept defeat. Intransigence has been their trademark in 2018.
Take for instance their performance to reclaim their Ulster title, facing Antrim heavyweights Loughgiel. With seven minutes to go, not even a diehard Bumblebee supporter who would have given them a shout of winning.
“I thought we were done,” confesses camogie chairman Sean Reilly as he recalls that the Antrim champs had won a penalty.
Fortunately it wasn’t Sean, but instead Annie Smith, Erinn Galligan and Sinead Coyle who stood on the goalline determined not to let the Loughgiel penalty pass. With a four point lead, if the Loughgiel player had opted for safety first and pointed the shot, it would surely have been the death of their season. Mercifully she went for goal.
“Annie stepped forward and batted it out,” says Sean reliving the defining moment in Crosserlough’s clubrooms. “Before it hit the ground, Erinn caught it, cleared it out and from that play we got the goal.”
Speaking of defining moments, up stepped teenager Ciara Finnegan. One sight of the goal doesn’t do it justice, as the improvisation through which she conjured it is best savoured with repeat viewing.
“The goal was class. It came in a long dropping ball to the corner of the square. She caught with this hand,” Sean says indicating his left as he mimics the moment of magic. “Dropped the hurl, and hand-passed into the net. Class. When you’re taking about skill – watching that is brilliant, and the composure of a 19-year-old to do it.”
There were more heart-stopping moments, exchanges of points, and another point blank save by Annie before the long whistle, but the girls saw it out. It was typical of how they have played all season long. Gutsy.
While they went unbeaten in County Cavan in league and championship, it wasn’t all plain sailing as Laragh took them to a replay in the final.
“Any day you play Laragh is going to be a tough battle,” he says of their man county rivals, noting their youthful age profile.
“I think that’s what’s standing to us to be honest because there’s a great mix and a great camaraderie between the older players and young.”
Under lights in Templeport saw them claim the top silverware in the county after a game which “to-ed and fro-ed a lot”.
While Sean - who helps to manage the team along with Jimmy Greville and Charlie Galligan - is eager to pay respect to the challenge they face in Cavan, Crosserlough had set their horizons on the national stage.
“We won an Ulster final last year, we got to an All Ireland semi-final, which we probably didn’t do ourselves justice in, so our goal - again not belittling anyone in Cavan - was to try to get back into that position and hopefully do ourselves justice the next time.”
Roscommon team Four Roads stand between Crosserlough and a date in the All-Ireland final
Having looked at their results Sean suspects that they are of a similar standard.
“We have no expectations going in, but at the same time we are not fearing them. What we want this year is to give a good account of ourselves, if we do that we’ll be happy. We didn’t feel we did ourselves justice last year,” he says recalling the painful defeat to Kilmessan, where they “didn’t get out of the blocks at all”.
Ensuring they will get out of the blocks this Sunday will be the club’s vocal and loyal support. Sean is eager to pay tribute to the support they have received and is hopeful to have them on board again on Sunday.
On the pitch the driving force is Captain Erinn Galligan.
“She commands respect from everyone,” says Sean. “She is a huge leader and a great driving force within the team.”
Translating ‘doing themselves justice’ for Crosserlough really comes down to their insatiable appetite to work hard for each other.
“We have some great skilful players as well but you can’t get a way from their workrate – I don’t know what it is about these girls, but they don’t know how to give up. They just don’t. They won’t give up."