Killeshin eager to roll the clock back ten years

Preview - LGFA JFC Final 

IT’S been 10 long years since Killeshin last got their hands on the Laois LGFA Junior Championship title and they’ll be hoping to do so once again on Friday evening against St Paul’s in Annanough.

Killeshin players Philomena Haughney and Ciara Malone along with their FLO Clare Malone were speaking ahead of the final at the Laois LGFA media night in the LOETB Portlaoise Institute last Friday evening.

Haughney knows that everything that they’ve worked for over the last 10 years comes down to the game in Annanough on Friday evening.

“This is it, this is it for us. We're ahead of the game, completely. Cannot wait for next Friday to go and do the job, get it done and come home with the cup,” she said.

She also expressed immense pride in the diversity of the team, with players of various ages along with girls who were part of the team in 2014.

“I wasn't on the team that year because I was pregnant. There's a lot of girls there, still there, they're actually playing again, coming back, trying their best and we've a great bunch of girls. Loads from every age and we're a great panel, great team. There's 35 of us there now. So, great girls and we know what we have to do next Friday,” she said.

Killeshin got the better of Timahoe and The Heath on route to the final and showed great determination to get over the line in both games.

“We gave it everything. We knew what we had to do. Like, never give up. Fight, fight, fight for the ball and that's what we did,” Haughney said.

Ciara Malone, who also played her part with the Laois team in 2023, is one of the younger girls on the panel and is hoping to create memories of her own on Friday evening.

“I was eight in 2014 but I don't even remember it. I'm hoping to have some fond memories this year,” Malone said.

The Killeshin player has played a lot of football in 2024 and she’s hoping she can cap off a long season with a cup in her grasp against St Paul’s.

“I've been playing football now throughout the whole year. It's just brilliant now to finish off this year, hopefully, with a win in the final after a long year with the county. We didn't finish our Laois season until the start of the championship. So it's really good to get back with all the girls and hopefully get a win over the line next Friday,” she said.

Killeshin’s team has a great mix of older and younger players which helps in the build-up as some of the older players would have experienced winning a county final 10 years ago.

“There's a few older girls there that were obviously on the last county final winning team and it's just brilliant because they're such good role models. Even towards all the younger girls, like, they just push everyone on, drive everyone on. I just feel like it's great to have them older girls there just for the support and the encouragement towards us all,” Malone said.

Killeshin’s FLO Clare Malone was actually apart of the team in 2014 so she knows what’s needed in order to get the win on Friday evening.

“Training sessions are going really, really, really good. We've been preparing for this since last January. We got the team together last January and they've been training really hard ever since. There's great numbers at training. We've pulled such a great bunch of girls together. They all work really hard and they know they've one goal on Friday night and they will go out and they will give it their all. We've one more match to get over and hopefully win the county final. It's 10 years since we won our last county final and we have everything to play for on Friday,” Clare said.

Fitness will be the key for Killeshin on Friday evening and Malone is hoping that they’ll get a slice of luck on the night.

“I feel that our strength is our fitness. We have really, really good girls that have really good fitness. I feel that that is going to be our biggest asset to get us over the line. At the end of the day, if you don't have your fitness, your legs aren't just going to be in it. We have such a range of girls that we have both fitness and the football to go with it. Please God, the luck will be with us. We understand we're up against a big match with St. Paul's but we feel that we will give it everything,” she said.

Killeshin have a great mix of youth and experience on their panel with the latter being important to help the girls prepare for the St Paul’s game in Annanough.

“We have a number of girls that would have played ten years ago when we last played.

I was on that team ten years ago and there's still girls there that are still playing, still making their position, which is unbelievable considering the panel that we have. Everyone is fighting for their position and I think that's really the goal that we had this year. There's a serious competition to make your place and everyone is fighting for that position. The girls that are older are really encouraging and trying to show them what exactly it's going to be like to win a county final. So between everything, I think we have the right panel, the right management, and hopefully on the day it'll work out,” she said.