You couldn’t have asked for a more dramatic ending to a county final, and ultimately it was the under the most excruciating of circumstances that Two Mile House lost out to a finely balanced Round Towers side.
The fact that it was so difficult for the press corps to decide on a Man of the Match was a fitting reminder that this Round Towers side is a team that is made up from the sum of their parts, rather than any standout individuals. There were superb displays from players all over the park wearing black and amber on Saturday, there were also plenty of admirable performers in green and gold too, but it was Towers midfielder Jamie Flynn who impacted most upon a brilliant game.
The battle in the middle third was a real war of attrition throughout, and Flynn’s strength and physicality was the major reason behind the Kildare Town at least breaking even in that area of the pitch.
You wouldn’t think that he was carrying an injury into Saturday’s game, revealing after the match that he had done damage to his medial ligaments just six days previously.
“We were just training last Sunday, and I got a bad tackle on it. Our trainings coming up to this were extremely intense, it was just everyone going all out and boys fighting for positions. Obviously I got injured there with a bit of a ligament strain,” said Flynn.
There was never any doubt about his participation in the replay though, and he puts that down to the fact that his manager, Glenn Ryan, has put together such a good backroom team.
“No, not one bit,” he replied when asked if he had any doubts about playing. “That was the best thing about Glenn and his backroom team, and the medical team. The faith he puts in us and the motivation that they direct towards us is absolutely excellent now. There’s no bit of fear in us now.”
While Flynn held some sympathy for his beaten opponents, he thought back to the days of hard running up on the Curragh this time last year and knew that his club deserved their title win.
“It’s unlucky for Two Mile House obviously, but I think we deserved it. We grafted enough the past few years, we went through managers and Glenn came in. We had the hard training sessions down in the Curragh in October and November in the blistering cold. 12 months training, I think we definitely deserved it.”
The powerful midfielder was full of praise for his manager following the game, and that’s not surprising seeing as Ryan has led them back to the senior grade on his first attempt. Flynn couldn’t believe that they were getting a manager to come in that was considered by many as a shoo-in for the Kildare job last year, but he was equally wary of the prospect of some rather tough training.
“I was scared to be honest with ya. Thinking of the training we’d have to go through, but the excitement of having a manager of his stature, with All-Stars and all,” he said.
“After losing the last few years, the quarter-final last year and the final the year before, it’s hard to get back up, but Glenn came in and restored that.”
They’ll go on to the Leinster Intermediate Championship now, and a return to the Kildare Senior Championship awaits in 2017. Flynn holds no fear of mixing it with the big boys, and he thinks his side will be ready for it.
“You want to be up playing the likes of Sarsfields and Moorefield. Now I think we’ll go in with good stamina and give it a good push,” he concluded.
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