Sean O’Leary’s won back-to-back county titles with a two-point victory over Magherafelt and Declan McKeever feels it is time the top dogs in Derry got the respect they deserve
It is a common refrain of the victors – the claim that they were somehow “written off” before duly proving their alleged doubters wrong.
But in the case of back-to-back Derry champions Newbridge, they might actually have a point.
They were 5/1 to defeat the-then All-Ireland club champions Glen in last season’s county final.
This time around, as defending champions, they were again cast in the role as underdogs with Magherafelt installed as 8/13 favourites following their impressive semi-final win over Watty Graham’s.
However, the John McLoughlin Cup return to Newbridge following a thrilling 1-17 to 1-15 win at Celtic Park.
Newbridge stalwart Declan McKeever feels the club ought to have gained more respect for their accomplishments.
“This year perhaps wasn’t as emotional – last year we had gone 35 years without winning a senior Championship,” said McKeever.
“To beat Glen, to beat the All-Ireland Champions, was a remarkable achievement for ourselves, such a small club and to then get back to winning the Derry Championship again.
“Seeing Magherafelt walk so many games and being the favourites. . . we were back being the underdogs again. It was probably a good thing for us, but we didn’t take the focus off Magherafelt.
“I wasn’t shocked that they were favourites, but when we won the Championship last year, beating Glen, you feel maybe you’d have a been more respect for doing what we did last year.
“Again, it worked out well for us that we were underdogs. We knew that if we kept the goals out, we wouldn’t be far away.”
Despite McKeever’s insistence that they ought be underdogs once more for Saturday’s Ulster Club SFC opener against Dunloy, it is a tag they’ll relinquish with the Antrim champions around 7/2 to upset the odds in Owenbeg.
The Derry winners are a stone’s throw away from Cargin and McKeever says they have their homework done on the new Antrim kingpins.
“Yeah, we’ve watched them. Obviously, we are very close to Cargin and we know them very well,” added McKeever.
“To be honest, it was no shock to see Dunloy win as they’ve been knocking on the door for the last two or three years and they’ve got really good youth teams coming through and, obviously, they’ve a great hurling team too.
“They have experience in Ulster with the hurling too so we’ll be very wary of that.
“In the Cargin game, you could see the youth and the pace they have. We know how quickly they can attack and get up and down the field. Going into the match, I’d say Newbridge wouldn’t be the favourites so it’s a good place for us.”
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