DCU players Niall Dolan, left, and Conor Heffernan with the cup after their side's victory in the Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Sigerson Cup final match between UCD and DCU DÉ at the GAA Connacht Centre of Excellence in Bekan, Mayo. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
By Kevin Egan
There’s no bond in the GAA that runs deeper than the connection that is felt between players that soldier together for their home club, but DCU’s Conor Heffernan was happy to park his club loyalty to make sure that his college had the best possible chance of securing their sixth ever Sigerson Cup title last night in Bekan.
DCU were level at half time but they were the dominant force in the second half, hoovering up UCD kickouts to establish a platform of possession that allowed them to outscore UCD by 1-10 to 1-3, before Darragh McElearney’s stoppage time goal took the bleak look off the scoreboard from the perspective of the Belfield side.
“We had a slow start, that goal (by Ryan O’Toole) was a killer when we had more scores and more shots than them and by half-time, even though it was level, we felt that we had the upper hand. With the slight advantage of the wind in the second half it felt like we could go for this, and we did” said the Killeshin and Laois player.
“The turning point for me was the kickouts. We did a load of work on Killian (Roche) during the week, he’s my club mate but I tried to give as much insight as I could!
“It didn’t work in the first half but in the second half we really turned the screw and we started turning over the kickout and getting the step on them, and they weren’t able to live with us from there”.
A real rivalry has built up in recent years between DCU and UCD, with the two colleges also set to do battle in tonight’s Freshers Final. However they had only met in the Sigerson decider once previously, another game where there was a strong Laois contingent involved.
Conor Heffernan of DCU Dóchas Éireann during the Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Sigerson Cup quarter-final match between DCU Dóchas Éireann and TUS Midlands at Dublin City University Sportsgrounds in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.
Goalkeeper Eoin Keogh and corner forward Eoin Lowry picked up winners’ medals in 2016 when UCD dethroned the champions by 0-10 to 2-2 in Jordanstown, while Stephen Attride and Colm Begley were on the DCU side.
This was a star-studded contest that featured Mick Fitzsimons, David Hyland, Jack McCaffrey, John Heslin, Paul Mannion, Davy Byrne, Diarmuid O’Connor, Enda Smith and Michael Quinn among others, and particularly for country players like Heffernan, it invited the question of why college football and a rivalry like that means so much to players who might only play Sigerson football for a couple of years.
Heffernan suggested that in DCU’s case, their bond came from the collective pursuit of a common goal and he suggested that this might not have been the same for the opposition.
“The team that started this year is the team that finished” he said, reflecting on how the players made a huge effort to be there throughout the season, rather than just for the business end.
“Everyone bought in, right from the word go back in September. We just got better and stronger as we went on, we gelled more as a team, and team is what got us over the semi-final and got us through that final.
“DCU is a smaller, tighter college, we feel that we have a better bond than UCD. UCD is a city in itself”.
It’s been a rollercoaster Spring for Heffernan, who has balanced his DCU commitments with his time with Laois. The O’Moore County started the year with a heavy defeat to Offaly and followed that up with a big win over Leitrim, and he said that not letting any result influence his mindset has been crucial.
“It’s hard, you’re going from playing new rules, to old rules, to new rules. You have to keep the body right so you have to step out of trainings and mind yourself a bit. A lot of the onus is on you but there’s also plenty of help around you, Seán Fox and his management team are really understanding here in DCU and the same with Justin McNulty and the Laois management. It’s a positive environment and you can excel, and get the best of both worlds.
“You take it game by game. County games are county games and college games are college games. Ultimately when you get out on the field you just have to perform as best you can. And a bit part of that is being right mentally, to not have either too much doubt or too much confidence from what might have happened the last time you were on a pitch”.
Nonetheless, there was no masking the beaming smile on his face as some of his colleagues came over to join in the celebrations.
“It’s everything. You play football because you love it, and it’s days like these that you get your rewards for all your hard work”.
