"We’d still like more” - Cavanagh
23.04.09
by
Liam Porter, Inishowen Independent
CLONMANY might be used to winning trophies at this
stage, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want more, joint
manager Martin Cavanagh said on cup presentation night.
The delighted Clonmany boss who was speaking minutes
after his side had clinched the Wille Grant West End
League Cup following a dramatic penalty shoot-out, said
the team would now shift their focus to the league, the
Credit Union and Knockalla Cups.
“It’s nice that we’ve won one cup now but we want to
keep going. We’re still contesting the league with
Redcastle and there is very little between both clubs
and both sides, we’ll just continue on as we’ve been
doing and hope that we’ll get something out of it.” |
Redcastle provided the
opposition for last Sunday’s final and those who had
predicted a closely fought encounter were proved correct
with the game finishing scoreless at the end of normal
and extra time.
The best chance of the game had fallen in the last
minute to Brian ‘Banjo’ Tracey but the Redcastle striker
saw his volley brilliantly saved by Peter Devlin who was
to be the real Clonmany hero on the night.
The keeper had picked up an injury just minutes before
that dramatic save, but according to Cavanagh he was
still very confident going into the penalty shoot-out.
“He made a great save from Banjo at the end of the game
with about a minute to go and then, when it came to the
penalties, he said to us anyway, I am going to save
three of them.”
Devlin’s ‘Grobbelaar-style’ antics caught the attention
of the large crowd at Maginn Park and Cavanagh admitted
that the keeper was ‘psyched-up’ for the shoot-out.
“We had practised penalties yesterday because there was
always the possibility that was the way it was going |
 |
to go, but Peter is very
good at penalties, out of the five he’ll always get one
or two, today he happened to get all of them.”
Cavanagh wouldn’t go so far as to say that the shoot-out
result was justified following his team’s display during
the game, but agreed that Clonmany had created the bulk
of the chances.
“I think we probably did create the better clear cut
chances but there wasn’t really much in the game. It was
a poor game in terms of people coming to watch it and it
wasn’t a great football spectacle to open the pitch here
at Maginn, but on the balance of it I think we probably
shaded it a wee bit. But there is usually very little to
separate us and Redcastle and once it gets to penalties
it’s a lottery.”
Cavanagh praised the team for their hard work and said
that any success is hard earned.
“In fairness the players have been brilliant. We
finished last year on the 14th of June playing in the
Champions League and we started back in pre-season
training in the third week of July, you are talking
almost an eleven month season.”
He also thanked trainer Michael Bradley and everyone who
had worked at the club over the season.
“There is a lot of effort, a huge commitment put in, but
nights like this make it worthwhile,” he concluded.
For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the
Inishowen Independent. |
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