Oisín: We still have plenty to prove, most of it to ourselves

“I’VE not much left to say to ye,” laughed Oisín McConville as he greeted a congregation of journalists at last week’s AIB provincial player awards.

On the surface, he’s right. The 35-year-old has been the go-to guy for the media since Crossmaglen beat Naomh Conaill in December’s Ulster final.

Articulate, single-minded and honest ...we won’t apologise for leaning on the man.

But what does he has to offer us that he hasn’t given already? Plenty, as it happens. Tomorrow marks his sixth All-Ireland club final but it’s different this time round, you see.

Rangers had to rip the script after losing to Pearse Óg in the 2009 Armagh championship. It was a watershed moment.

In years past, they would have had a certain way of preparing for finals. Not now.

“There has been a routine in the past but to be honest Gareth (O’Neill) and Tony (McEntee) have blown that out of the water,” explained McConville. “We went back training the Tuesday after the semi-final and it was probably one of the toughest training sessions we have done all year.

“Everybody was on a high after the semi-final but at the end of the day it only gets you into a final. They brought us back down to earth very quickly and we got back into it.

“The build-up is great. I enjoy everything associated with going to Croke Park on Paddy’s Day but it’s no good unless you perform.”

But what are the chances of not performing happening again? Crossmaglen, after all, will be much fancied against St Brigid’s. They’re coming into another final on the back of a fine semi-final win. Can lightning strike twice?

“We’re going to be favourites and we accept that but we’re not worried about the fact we’re going to be favourites,” insisted McConville.

“We played Dr Crokes in the final four years ago and we drew with them that day. We were probably lucky enough to get the draw (Cross won the replay in Portlaoise). The two years after that we played Kilmacud in the final and were beaten. We haven’t performed, we haven’t won in Croke Park since 2000. That was the last time. We beat Na Fianna in 2000 so we owe it to ourselves to put in a performance there.”

The makings of Crossmaglen this time? Look no further than the Ulster quarter-final win over St Gall’s.

“We were lucky to have them in our backyard,” noted McConville. “That gave the young fellas and the older fellas, to be honest, the belief that we could go on and were good enough to compete with other teams.

“St Gall’s may have been coming into our backyard but they were still All-Ireland champions. Any club team that wins an All-Ireland title is a good outfit. We were confident of winning an Ulster title after that.”

Under O’Neill and McEntee, outside coaches have been invited in to broaden players’ minds. An eight-mile run around the forest of Gosford Park in Market Hill doesn’t sound all that groundbreaking but McConville testifies to its benefits – even if it’s usually Francie Bellew, John McEntee and himself pulling up the rear.

“It’s something that becomes part of your weekly thing that you do. Seamie McGeown, whose father got involved in training us (under Donal Murtagh), comes from an athletics background and he actually enjoys going out for eight-mile runs. I find that weird!

“He’s sort of got us into that way of thinking. We’ve enjoyed it and he’s a good lad, he’s good craic.”