Kelly’s Toome aura rubbing off on Moycarkey/Borris
By Shane Brophy
Denis Kelly is fully aware of a traditional power falling on hard times and finding their way back to prominence.
The Moycarkey/Borris manager grew up in Toomevara, who were county senior champions on ten occasions up to 1960, but wouldn’t win another for 32 years in which time they fell into the intermediate ranks before turning the tide. That 1992 success began a three-in-a-row for the greyhounds with Kelly on the panel in 1994, winning the first of his nine senior championship medals in glorious era for the club.
“They are a huge club in Tipperary but it is hard to believe it is 42 years since they were in a county final,” Kelly said of helping guide the Moycarkey/Borris back to the final for the first time since 1984 when they last won their twelfth title.
“That was the target at the start of the year,” he said of taking the next step after reaching the semi-final and quarter final respectively in the last two years.
“The Mid Championship didn’t work out when we were beaten by Brackens on penalties but we were building all the time,” Kelly revealed.
“We were in a real group of death and lot of people tipped us to be bottom of that so we went match by match and the win against Loughmore/Castleiney in the first game gave us a bit of momentum and we have kept it going from there.
“We are probably leaving it late in matches but one thing we are doing is staying going and there is great belief in the dressing room and it came out in the last two games.”
You can’t do what Moycarkey/Borris have done in this year’s championship without being extremely fit, as well as having a strong team spirit, epitomised by captain Kieran Cummins and spiritual leader Kieran ‘Kiwi’ Morris, according to Kelly.
“We have to credit our S&C coach Dave Brennan, he has the boys in some nick,” he continued.
“We have good subs as well and a good bench. Kieran Cummins coming in and, medically, he shouldn’t by right be near a pitch but he just has that determination to get on the pitch and help us in some way. With that kind of character in your team and panel, you have a great chance.
“Kiwi is phenomenal and when the pressure is at its highest he seems to come up trumps. In the dressing room, the lads are just in awe of him and have been looking at him for years and now they are playing with him. The likes of Killian Cantwell and these young lads, they are pure stone mad about him so it is just brilliant to play with him and give him assistance.
“It is great to get a lad like that over the line and there are others that have soldiered a long time so it is great for those lads to get to a county final.”
Denis Kelly only joined the club as manager at the start of this year replacing Eddie Brennan who stepped away to join his Kilkenny senior management team.
“I didn’t change a whole lot,” Kelly admitted.
“The same management team was there, I just stepped into steer the bus, the boys had a lot of work done with Eddie and his team and got to a semi-final two years ago.
“I got in and set a few ground rules and pillars in place, we did that and they seem to be paying off.
“Definitely our ability to finish games and staying going to the end is standing to us but we won’t get away with that the next day.
“Sars are just a seasoned, well oiled outfit and when you have the likes of Ronan Maher coming off the bench, you have a serious challenge ahead of you.
“They all know each other so well so it should be a humdinger. We just want to get our house in order. We know we will be massive underdogs and we’ll take that too.”