Rochford ready for Ardagh's Connacht adventure
Ardagh’s Kevin Moran, Stephen Rochford, (captain), and Sean Moore celebrate after the final whistle. Picture: David Farrell Photography
History was made in the Mayo Junior final, as Ardagh got over the line for the first time when they defeated Eastern Gaels in MacHale Park.
Not only the club’s first title, but also their first time in a county final, as they ran out 3-14 to 1-11 winners.
For so many players in this rural community, it was years in the making, with Stephen Rochford among the members who could not believe this day had come.
Having finally got to a final, Rochford was determined for the moment not to pass them by.
“It means so much for a small parish like ours to be county champions at any level. To get up to Intermediate level is huge.
“It is something that players in the team would have been 10 or 15 years trying to get to. It was great to get to the final for the first time, and then do the business when we got there.
“I remember thinking in the middle of the first half, if we lose this and we have to go back, there is no guarantee if you get to a final one year, you will be back the next year.
“To call a spade a spade, some of the players might not have got an opportunity to get back to a final again if we hadn’t gotten over the line.” The occasion was a first for the team, with nerves showing in some in the first half.
From shots dropping short to uncharacteristic poor passes, Ardagh were showing unusual mistakes.
However, once they got into the dressing room at half-time, there was no turning back.
“I wasn’t as nervous before it, but when I went out on to the pitch, my nerves kicked in a bit to be honest. You could see it with some people, they were dropping balls and a bit nervy.
“For the majority of the first half, there was still people nervy missing a lot of shots and giving a lot of balls away, there was a lot of nerves there.
“When we came out for the second half, we knew there was a lot more in us.
“It was the story of the season in a way, we went in four points down against Shrule, we didn’t deserve to be four points down, we thought we played good football.
“Against Eastern Gaels, it was a very competitive first half. We missed a lot of goal chances ourselves in the first half. It wasn’t even the missed goal chances that we were criticising ourselves at half-time, it was more the balls we were dropping, loosing the ball in the tackle, things that Sean Carey would have drilled into us, you nail the basics.
“That was the message in the second half, go out and nail the basics, keep the ball moving, and we are not going to lose this final from a lack of work rate.” When the final whistle blew, it was emotions and joy Ardagh never seen before, and a moment those on the pitch will never forget.
For Stephen and his teammates, it did not feel real until the days that followed.
“I didn’t know whether to jump around or cry, I didn’t know what to do with myself.
“A lot of it was relief, we got there and we did it. For a while after that, it was still disbelief, you are walking around Mickey O’Boyle’s pub like a zombie, shaking hands, people congratulating you.
“It was only the second day with the team up there ourselves when we had the cup with us, that is when it suck in what we had done.” Attention will now turn to the Connacht championship, where Ardagh will face Roscommon champions St Aidan's.
Planning for a provincial championship is a new, but exciting adventure for the squad, and Stephen wants to enjoy every moment of it.
“We have to give it a shot. Some people might never get a chance to have a go at it. You might not get a chance again, so you may as well have a good shot at it.
“All the work is done for the county championship, everyone is at their highest fitness levels. The main difference is you are playing teams you have never seen before. We want to compete in it, we want try and do well while we are there.”
