'I don't care what type of game it is, as long as we win that cup' - McLaughlin

Cockhill Celtic assistant manager Gerard Mclaughlin said that carrying the tag as favourites will not have an impact on his team who face Gorey Rangers this Sunday in the FAI Junior Cup final. 

The newly crowned Inishowen champions will clash with the Model County club in Eamonn Deacy Park in Galway this weekend with Cockhill hoping to learn from the lessons of last year when they lost to Rockmount in the FAI Intermediate Cup final on penalties. 

But with the club dropping down to junior football since then, they’ve always been heavy favourites to win national glory this season, with McLaughlin stating that the junior cup competition was something they always believed they could win. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s a day we’ve targeted considering it’s a cup competition, which usually have games that bring on a life of their own, but after we lost the Intermediate Cup final last year and we were put down to Junior football, it was something we looked at and knew we were within a chance of getting back to a national final,” the Cockhill coach said. 

“I’ve been saying it the last few weeks, it’s all well and good getting to a final, the buildup is great, and the enjoyment is great, but we have to now go and win it. We lost last year, which was hard to take, so we have to make sure we do everything in our power to get over the line this weekend, by hook or by crook.” 

Since falling to junior football, Cockhill have been cruising to victory in nearly all competitions, and with the club only recently winning the Inishowen league, no doubt it’ll give the side a big boost before the national final, one they are on paper, expected to win. 

“The boys to be fair really adapted to junior football; we’ve gone unbeaten in the league, and they’ve got the club back to a national final, so the lads deserve a massive amount of credit for that,” McLaughlin admitted. 

“I don’t think the fact that we’re going in as favourites will play a major role, because like I said, cup finals take on lives of their own. People like to highlight that we’re favourites, but we don’t really pay much attention to that.” 

Since winning their semi-final last month against Pike to reach a national final, Cockhill have had time to soak in the atmosphere around Inishowen as they attempt to become the first side from there to win this competition. 

With work complete on their opposition, McLaughlin and his side know they will be facing a serious team and expects the game to be a close encounter, however, the assistant boss acknowledges that he doesn’t care what type of game is played, as long as the Donegal club win. 

“We already watched Gorey play this year, we went down to see them, so we have our homework done and we know that they’re a serious side,” said McLaughlin. “If we don’t perform, then we won’t win and it’s as simple as that. 

“It’s been probably a month now since we won our semi-final, so that lads have had time to soak in the atmosphere and the buzz around the place. We have been busy in terms of taking care of the league and playing in other competitions, but now all our attention turns to getting the job done this Sunday. 

“I don’t really care if we win 1-0, 6-0, on penalties, whatever, as long as we win that cup. I expect it to be a one goal kind of game and whoever gets that goal will win the cup . . . hopefully that will be us.”