BY DÁIRE BONNAR
IT’S a lonely life as the second choice goalkeeper in any sport.
Having to watch on as the player you’re competing with day in, day out in training gets the plaudits can be difficult, but with Gavin Mulreany there is an acceptance and a real support with his goalkeeping union.
Going back to April last year, the St Naul’s man was on the bench as Shaun Patton had a heavy influence against Derry in the Ulster quarter-final in Celtic Park.
The back-to-back Ulster champions were in their own backyard against a Donegal side who had hugely underperformed the previous year but there was a kink in the Derry armour that Jim McGuinness looked to exploit with the help of his goalkeeper.
Derry ‘keeper Odhran Lynch would come out for Donegal kick outs and act as an extra man in midfield.
But Patton’s ability to pick out a man in midfield with accuracy allowed Donegal to break at pace, which set them up for a healthy win.
The St Eunan’s man then picked up a quad injury and Mulreany was called upon.
A big lead with a quarter of an hour to play, there were two thoughts in the head of the St Naul’s man – don’t try anything stupid, and kick the ball away from the goal.
A kick out of his own actually led to Donegal’s fourth goal that day with a sweeping move finished off by fellow substitute Jamie Brennan.
It was a day where the importance of Donegal’s squad depth was showcased and emphasised the importance of being ready to make an impact.
“Fifteen players will never win trophies on their own and last year we had a lot of injuries,” Mulreany said.
“This year we still have injuries but boys have stepped up into positions and they want to play as well. We have so many players capable of starting but they aren’t seeing minutes because of the options there but as the Ulster campaign has went on we’ve seen so many players play championship football.
“Against Monaghan Jamie Brennan came on and kicked two great points when we were under pressure so we just need to keep doing that.
“You need 25 to 30 players ready to come on and you don’t know when you’ll be needed, I got my chance last year and I wasn’t expecting it because I hadn’t seen Shaun injured since I started playing with Donegal.”
It’s less frequent for the number one to be changed but Mulreany was in the right frame of mind to come in and make that seamless transition.
A start in the same venue against Tyrone in the Ulster semi-final followed and again he stepped up to the plate to help his side into the final.
But once Patton regained fitness, it was back to the bench for the decider in Clones.
“Looking at Shaun, there is a lot less of a chance that I’ll play because there is only one position. You look at Armagh and Blaine Hughes came on and saved the penalty the day Ethan Rafferty got the black card (against Antrim) so you have to be ready to play if needed.
“Coming to terms with where I am in the squad and team is the first part of it. Obviously I’d love nothing more than to be out there playing every day but if you want to win things then you need your best players and Shaun is the best ‘keeper we have and he’s playing well at the moment.”
The hero on Ulster final day would be Patton, as he saved Shane McPartlan’s penalty in sudden death.
And while there was delight on the day, Mulreany admitted that there was a tinge of envy after getting the taste for game time.
“I was lucky in a way last year that I knew I was going to be playing the first league game against Cork and that automatically meant I would be playing in the McKenna Cup.
“After playing in the league, when you do play you just want more and more.
“Obviously Shaun is the number one and he’s a class act, and the utmost professional.
“But he got injured that day against Derry and I was brought on and played the semi-final against Tyrone and in the league you wanted more games, but after playing in the championship you be chomping at the bit to play again.
“I even said to him last year after saving the penalty in the Ulster final how jealous I was that it was him and not me, it’s that competitive nature and you just want to be in the limelight for the right reasons.”
The scrapping of the McKenna Cup this year meant the St Naul’s man may have missed out on playing a couple of games and finding his rhythm again in a county shirt.
He made appearances in the league against Tyrone and Mayo when Donegal were already safe and a league final wasn’t exactly a priority.
Watching on isn’t ideal, but there is a driving force behind why he continues to push for that starting berth.
“I was very raw going into the two league games that I did play.
“The Tyrone game I was fairly nervous going into it because I probably hadn’t played since last October but then the Mayo game you have a bit more confidence and you’re more comfortable when you play two weeks in-a-row.
“I was happy to get that game time because we’re into the championship now and I’ll have that bit more confidence if I’m needed.
“You’re not guaranteed but you’d be hoping to play one of those (McKenna Cup) games.
“It’s tough then because you are wondering ‘where am I going to get a chance?’ but I was lucky we were in a position that I got my chance in the league.
“For other players it would have been tough but that’s the way it went.
“It’s about being part of something big and it’s why we want to do it. I learned after we won Ulster last year that it is so much more than just about us (players).
“What that meant to the people of Donegal, a lot of tragedies have happened in Donegal over the last few years but when we got back to Donegal Town last year, I think it was 12.30 when we got back to the car park, and you couldn’t see with people.
“What that meant to the people in Donegal made me feel lucky to be in a position that I could be part of that squad that could go on to do something special.”
With the changing of the rules this year, Patton’s influence has increased even more as his bombing kick outs have been a great outlet for Donegal when under pressure.
The 12v11 didn’t last too long and the rule changes as a whole have their own positives and negatives for Mulreany, one positive he joked was that it means he has a lot less running to do now.
“Shaun is a class act off the tee and even in training he’s probably brought me to another level because I’ve no other option.
“But just tips here and there on different things, it looks so fast for him when he’s taking his kicks but in his mind it’s all really slowed down.
“The Monaghan game he really got us out of bother with his kicking and he has been exceptional the last two years.
“With the changes there is such an emphasis on winning the ball everywhere on the pitch, if you had a good plan for getting a kick out away, the new rules have destroyed that.
“Now you have to be accurate over 70 metres rather than 13 metres so it’s a huge demand on the ‘keeper and if the success rate isn’t good then there is pressure on them.
“I used to play outfield at underage so I enjoy getting on the ball and joining in on the attack.
“But the boys are a lot better than me at that so maybe it’ll save my job as a goalkeeper rather than the possibility of opting for an outfield player in goals, so it is back to basics and you don’t have to influence the game as an outfield player now.”
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