BY RYAN FERRY

THERE aren’t too many players who would be unfazed about playing their first game of the season in a county final in front of a big crowd at O’Donnell Park, but Setanta’s Jonny Carlin was fit for the challenge.

Carlin was part of the Donegal senior football panel this season and had a busy campaign as they reached the All-Ireland Final.

His plan was to get stuck into club football but his old teammates at Setanta were soon in touch, and he played the full game as they defeated St Eunan’s in the County Senior Hurling Final last Saturday.

There was an error in the matchday programme with the wrong substitution list submitted, so when number 23 was brought into the starting team, it wasn’t actually announced as Carlin.

However, those eagle-eyed spectators in the stand who watched the Setanta team line up for the national anthem, will have spotted Carlin’s red hair and familiar face.

“I came back about two or three weeks ago. The boys were onto me and got me roped back into playing,” Carlin told the Donegal News.

“I sort of didn’t want to go back because you have men that are training there all year.

“But no I was assured that I wouldn’t be coming in and stepping on anybody’s toes.

“I got the word then on Thursday night that I was starting, and I was thinking ‘Oh Jeez, I haven’t lifted a hurl properly in maybe three years’.

“It probably showed out in the final because I was a bit rusty.

“I suppose I have plenty of fitness from all the training this year and that workrate and bit of dog just stood to me I suppose.

“It’s good to be back and be part of it and I’m just delighted for all the boys.

“They were unlucky last year but they came back and put in some shift this season so they deserve it.”

It wasn’t looking good for Setanta as they trailed by four points midway through the second half but Carlin said he wasn’t overly worried.

“I wasn’t really.

“I just felt if we could stick at it that we had enough quality in the team.

“There are some serious hurlers in our team that can do damage.

“If you can get the ball into the hand of those men, they can make things happen.

“It could have went either way but to be fair, I was always confident that we would get the result.”

Carlin praised Josh Cronolly McGee who came up trumps for the team with two crucial goals.

“Josh is strong and quick.

“If you can get him the ball inside the 21, he’s always going to look to take on his man.

“He has the pace and the strength and you could see that he knows how to stick the ball in the back of the net as well.

“He stood up and Gerard (Gilmore) as well with the frees.

“He was the man when the things weren’t going so well.

“They were savage hard frees into a cross-field breeze, and they were massive for us.”

It’s been a long campaign for Carlin after the huge commitment of intercounty football, but his evenings are still jam-packed.

“I thought I was getting a few weeks off but no, it was straight back into the action.

“I have Red Hughs on a Tuesday, hurling on a Wednesday, and it’s more or less full-time training again.

“It is what it is and if I didn’t enjoy it I wouldn’t be doing it.

“I’m enjoying every minute. I’m thirty coming so the years are getting limited and I’ll play as much as I can.”

Setanta will play in the Ulster Senior Club Championship this season with a home tie against the Antrim champions in November, and Mark Marley will be hoping he can still call upon Carlin then.

“We will cross that bridge when we come to it.

“There’s a lot of hurling and a lot of football to play over the coming weeks.

“I’m just looking forward to whatever is ahead.”

The celebrations went in long until the night for Setanta on Saturday but Carlin is also on the trail of Intermediate Football Championship success with Red
Hughs.

They were meeting at Murvagh beach at 8:50am on Sunday morning so there was no major partying for Carlin.

“We have Na Rossa so that will be a big game for us and we will hopefully get another win.”