UNLEASHING speed from the bench has become a feature of modern football – and Down boss Conor Laverty believes Caolan Mooney has plenty more to offer the Mourne cause as thoughts turn to Tailteann Cup triumph.
The RGU Downpatrick man was brought on in the dying moments of normal time as Down reeled in Sligo to force an extra 20 minutes, with a trademark Mooney break ending with a score seconds after his introduction.
Another burst almost led to another point minutes later, while the 31-year-old forced a crucial turnover as the Mournemen finally ended Sligo’s resistance.
It was an impressive cameo for who a man who hasn’t had his injury troubles to seek, having suffered a cruciate ligament injury two years ago, followed by niggling hamstring problems that have limited his involvement this year.
However, Mooney could be forcing his way into the frame at just the right time.
He featured in Downpatrick’s derby defeat to Saul on Friday night, and Laverty hopes the three week break between now and the Tailteann Cup final against Laois will be of big benefit to Mooney and fellow flyer Liam Kerr.
“The Liam one is probably just load management in terms of where his injury was [ankle] - he’s just coming back into a full 70 minutes.
“’Moons’ came back and trained in December/January time, was motoring really well, came back from a really tough injury [cruciate].
“All players when they’re coming back from that, particularly those lads with top end speed, are susceptible to hamstring injuries, so we’ve been managing his load over this past number of weeks.
“Then it was just trying to get his confidence back and get that spark back. Coming down the straight, when legs were getting tired, we felt his pace and his decision-making on the ball would be really vital.
“I’m just delighted for him because the rehab he’s done, he has been top class. Everything he has been asked to do, he has done to the letter of the law.”
It isn’t just the work Mooney has been doing that has paid off for Down.
Although helped by playing against 14 men for the final half hour, the Mourne County’s fitness levels shone through as they ground out an important victory.
“Some of the training sessions we’ve put them through have been gruesome, and they’ve never questioned us once as a management team.
“Everything we’ve asked them to do, all the tough sessions, they are always ready to go, there’s no questions asked. I said to them before we went out for extra-time that all of them moments and all the dark places that they’ve went to in training, this is where it counts, and that got us over the line.
“A lot of Tollymore sessions and sand dunes in Ballykinler… a lot of tough nights, long dark evenings and when you’re coming down the straight, there’s no better feeling than when you know you have it in your legs.
“It gives you great confidence to know that you’ve went to the well many times in training and then you’re able to do it in the game.”
The reward for their endeavours is a second Tailteann Cup decider in-a-row.
Last year they came up short against Meath in the decider having run eight goals past Laois in a 22-point thumping to reach that stage. Now they take on the O’Moore men again, and Laverty knows Laois are a different animal under Armagh All-Ireland winner Justin McNulty.
“Leaving here last year after the final, listen, it was a long way back, but all we’ve done is earned an opportunity to compete in another final.
“The Laois result last year was probably just a freak result, it doesn’t happen in football that way. With their new management team in now, and that more defensive structure from their own playing days, it will be a different game.”
