Drom-Broadford captain says beating Nemo is not enough
The Limerick champions sprung one of the biggest upsets in the history of the club football championships, becoming only the third side to defeat Nemo Rangers in a provincial tie.
Yet McLoughlin stresses it is imperative they claim silverware.
“We’ve turned over one of the top teams in the country which is great. But it’s only one game and we’re only in the final. You have to have silverware in the cabinet to prove it. It’ll be hard enough for the players to keep their feet on the ground. With the supporters and family and friends, and when we’re on the Cork-Limerick border after turning over Nemo, it’ll be hard.
“But hopefully after a couple of days things will settle down again. We’ll just knuckle down, get back training and put it to the back of our minds.”
McLoughlin revealed his side were confident of causing an upset against the famed Trabeg outfit.
“At home during the week, people were saying that if we gave them a game it would be great — just to run them to three or four points. But we knew as a group of players there was more in us than that. I think our hunger and our work ethic was what won it for us. With five or 10 minutes to go, we knew we were still in the game. We just dug in. If there were another few minutes left Nemo would probably have got a draw out of it.”
McLoughlin admitted the decision made on Saturday to switch the match from their club grounds in Dromcollogher to the Gaelic Grounds was disappointing, but was a scenario they had been preparing for.
“It was disappointing but we’d had hints during the week that it could be changed so it wasn’t a shock. On Saturday everybody just took it. It was a disappointment to lose out on the occasion in the club. But we’d played in the Gaelic Grounds before and the last time we were there we performed. So we’d no fear coming into it.”
The success marked Drom-Broadford’s first Munster championship victory, having been defeated in their three previous encounters in 2001, 2003 and 2004.
They now face Clare champions Kilmurry-Ibrickane in the final, who previously conquered them in the 2004 quarter-final 0-13 to 0-12.
“We’ve been out in this competition three times before and gone down three times before. So it was about time we won a game. There’s a few of us shoving on, around the 30 mark. It’s either now or never to make a mark. We’ve another big game against Kilmurry-Ibrickane. We’ve played them before and lost out to them, so it’ll be a massive test.”
Meanwhile Limerick manager Mickey Ned O’Sullivan has hailed the victory as a major step forward for the clubs and football in general in the county.
Also noteworthy for the fact that it was only the Cork side’s third defeat in 17 provincial campaigns, it will mark only the fourth appearance by a Limerick team in the final.
“It’s a psychological breakthrough in the sense that Nemo are the yardstick and not alone did then (Drom-Broadford) go out and play a close game but they had the ability to win it,’’ said O’Sullivan.
“I was very impressed by the way they played, how they pressurised Nemo when hadn’t possession. And when they had it they frustrated Nemo by just holding the ball and, obviously without possession Nemo weren’t able to score.’’
Satisfied that this landmark victory reflects both the work that’s being done at club level and proves that standards are rising, he agreed that it can have a spin-off benefit for the county squad. “It gives us more of a choice at well,’’ he added. “And what it does, it gives players confidence. You are talking about a county that hasn’t won a Munster title in 113 years and never at club level, so making that psychological breakthrough is very important.
“They now know that with enough effort they are as good as any other footballers in the country, but it’s a mindset.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
