Player/Manager O’Brien bridges two county successes
By Liam Hogan
It’s twenty years on and the joy of winning a second County Junior ‘B’ Football medal hasn’t dimmed as Burgess player/manager Colm O’Brien testified after his side had just beaten Rosegreen in the final on Saturday.
“I’m definitely the most emotional,” he revealed.
“It’s weird but as you push on in life you think you have done everything. To win this at 43 years of age and to be playing with lads who weren’t even born the last time we won this competition. It’s the passage of time. I was nineteen when we won it in 2000 and its lovely.
“Marty Caulfield (Donegal) came in and became involved. He was on Jim McGuiness’ first Donegal panel. He is steeped in football, and he is a real push on to us.
“Look it’s nice. We didn’t have a great year with the hurling after winning the North Premier Intermediate and to finish the year, it’s nice to finish with something.”
The final was a low-scoring game with the goal opportunities counting most. Burgess had most of the play, especially in the first half, and perhaps should have been more in control by half time?
“Our semi-final against Thurles Gaels was a lot like that,” O’Brien added.
“It was a very tight game and every score was vital. However, we knew just to stay calm and not to panic and not be afraid. There was a tight last ten minutes and we spoke at half time about a tight finish. When it was tight in the last five minutes, we kept calm.
“Look, it’s the time of year but the pitch was in great nick and it was hard going and scores were hard to come by and I thought we managed very well.”
It was a balancing act with the management deciding to have some of their under 21 players replaced as they were involved in under 21 hurling the following day.
“We have a lovely under 21 team but only sixteen or seventeen players togging out,” O’Brien revealed.
“We had eight under 21 players togged out today. We took off Kieran Grace and he was great and scored 1-1 from wing back. He was our captain. We had that planned and we took off Aidan O’Dwyer as well and brought on the rest of the under 21 players. We just don’t have the numbers, but you have to be conscious of their needs as well.”