Kilcormac-Killoughey captain Slevin hungry for another medal

AS a 31 year old goalkeeper, time is still on Conor Slevin's side and he wants to go on for as long as he can but he is also aware that the clock is ticking.

An outstanding consistent goalkeeper, Slevin was first on the panel when Kilcormac-Killoughey were shocked by Tullamore in the 2009 final. He was in goals the following year and has been there ever since as they embarked on an era of great success.

K-K ended years of heartbreak when winning their first title in 2012, winning the Leinster club later that year and losing the All-Ireland final the following March. They won three in a row at that time, went off the boil for a couple of years before returning to the winners' enclosure in 2017 but they haven't won another one since then.

There is a sense that K-K should have won more and Slevin was asked about this last week ahead of Sunday's final renewal with Shinrone.

“To be fair we were lucky I suppose, when I came on first we were lucky in ways that I didn't have to wait too long for the club to get over the line. 2002 was the first time the club ever got to the county final in Birr. I suppose when you look at it 2012, 2013, and 2014 we won county titles, 2017 we won another one, that's 5-6 years ago. That's only four county titles in 15 years, probably not a great return when you look at the players we've had and the club we've had. But look sure there's nothing we can do about that now, all we can do is look forward to Sunday week and hope we can get it over the line.”

How hard have things been since 2017? You've lost probably 3-4 semi-finals and three finals as well, do those defeats take a toll?

“They would, they'd definitely take a toll, sure they'd take a toll on your confidence. In 2012, 2013, 2014 we probably would've thought we were nearly invincible. We were winning matches, doing exactly what Shinrone are doing this year in a way, they are getting over the line and showing that they're county champions for a reason and in fairness to them that's a great thing to have and we'd like to have it again. It does take its toll and 5-6 years is a long time, as I said already, when you look back and all the players are after going too old in 5-6 years.”

They were favourites for last year's final defeat by Shinrone but that loss was no harder to swallow than any other.

“It was probably no harder to take. It doesn't make a difference who you are playing in the final, you just want to win. To be fair to them the whole talk about last year's county final might have been that KK didn't show up but I have this feeling that we weren't let show up, and the fact is that the Shinrone team that are after showing up this year were that good last year, they just weren't given credit for how good they were. And look they're after showing this year that they're county champions for a reason and they are a very good side.”

He agreed that K-K do appear to be motoring better this year than last year when the impression that they were sitting ducks proved correct.

“Yeah we seem to have a bit more about us this year I suppose. There's a few younger lads after coming on in the last few years, and sure on Sunday you could see that Charlie Mitchell especially came into his own in the second half, and we have a few new lads as well like Brecon and Adam are after coming on this year, and sure Brecon scored a point on Sunday and Adam is scoring, in fairness, every day he's after going out this year, they've added to it. We’re just delighted that we’re going to be getting a chance again.”

Seeing young talents like Brecon Kavanagh and Adam Screeney progress to the team and the knowledge that there is more in the wings has given great encouragement to older stagers like Clnor Slevin.

“It’s great, they bring a new lease of life to training. There's a savage amount of young lads on the field and they're after bringing a new lease of life, even to the Senior B team that won on Saturday, and sure it's great for the club to win on Saturday and it's great for all them young lads. We've 42 on the field there and a good lot of them are young lads, and they're training away all year with us and we’re delighted to have them really.”

And those young lads have an infectious confidence.

“Oh there is but I suppose all the hurling they're after doing over the last few years and all the winning they're after doing, sure they would have to be confident in themselves, and they'd be bold but they are confident men and it's a great boost to have them around the place.”

He gets great pleasure from seeing a young lad like Adam Screeney testing him in training.

“Oh you would yeah, it wouldn't be simple in fairness but over the years now in training it's never anything simple with the forwards we’re after having. We’re after having a good few over the years that are after coming through, and Mahon and Gorman are still there, all these boys are still standing up to the plate.”

For lads on the count down to 40 such as Damian Kilmartin, Conor Mahon, James Gorman and Ger Healion, this could be the last chance saloon.

“You never know what some lads are thinking, but you'd be hoping it wouldn't be the last throw of the dice for some of them. They're big men to have around the place, as you said, they were all there in 2012, they were there in 2009, they would have lost another final in 2007. The likes of Damo (Kilmartin), Conor Mahon, James Gorman, Ger Healion, Killian Leonard on the panel as well. You'd be hoping that they wouldn't be going away, but you never know what some lads are thinking, but hopefully they can get another one over the line on Sunday week and we'll be delighted if they do.”

There is an air of expectancy about what K-K can achieve in the coming years with their young talent but Slevin turns a deaf ear to this talk.

“Ah no sure how many times are they after saying that about our club. Sure in the '90s our club was winning minors and under 20s and in fairness to Damien Kilmartin and Conor Mahon’s era they were after winning everything up along, and I think they were 25 before they won the first senior county final. So, like it's great to have them in the club and we’re delighted they are after winning minors and 20s and representing Offaly but they know just as much as we do, that you mightn’t necessarily win these championships over the next 5-6 years, but all you can worry about is the one coming up in front of you.”

It is now six years since K-K last won the Sean Robbins Cup and this does create pressure.

“The pressure does increase, and we’re after losing a few finals over the last few years so we know the pressure is there, and every time you're going out to a final or semi final you’re thinking about 2017, and one year it's three years ago and the next it's six years ago and there's still no final won in between that. We know it's a massive job and we’re after losing a few finals, and all we have won is four county finals, but we're just hopeful we can drive one a bit further in the next couple of days and we'll get the win on Sunday week.”

It is important for K-K to get one soon.

“Oh yeah look sure you’ll never win enough county titles. There's no club out there that'll give away county titles. We want to win as much as we can. Sure as I said we've only won four. For a club like ours and the way we’re going at underage level the last few years we want to try and win as many as we can, but sure all we can do is try and win one at a time, hopefully that's what we're going to do.”

This year K-K played Tullamore and Kinnitty first and wins there secured early qualification. Was it a help to have your two easiest games first?

“In hindsight, it looks that way anyways, but in championship hurling you never know what way it's going to go, with all the new faces we had this year you never know what we were going to bring to the table, but we were delighted to get those two games. And as you said it more or less guaranteed that we'd get into knockout stages, and I suppose we had Birr and Rynagh's in the last two games and we got over the line in them two as well, so we were delighted to top the group.”

He has been happy with their form since.

“Yeah I suppose look, as you said, that's all you can do and we'd be delighted if on Sunday week we'd be able to come back to all these things again and hopefully get over the line again, but you just never know and, as I said, we’d be hopeful that it’s there, but we just need to make sure it is there in 10 days time. Like last year it wasn't there against Shinrone in the county final, and we're hoping there's a difference this year in what way we’re after going, and Sunday week will prove that to us.”

Unlike last year, Shinrone are marginal favourites but this isn't in K-K's thinking.

“Oh yeah definitely. Look sure that probably would seem to be the case, but I suppose favourites isn't really a tag for any player or anything to worry about, doesn't really come into it, but look they would be showing more form this year and look they're county champions for a reason. They're showing it this year as well. They're rolling out wins like county champions do, and all them boys know what a county medal is as well. We've a lot of lads in our dressing room that don't know what a county medal is.”

Irrespective of the result, Slevin hopes to play on for a few years.

“You'd be hopeful to get to stay around, whether they’ll have you or not, and in fairness Senior B’s are after playing well on Saturday, and Shane Mulrooney went into goals for them this year, so there'll be a tight tussle over the next few years with him, and there's more goalies in the club, but I'd be hopeful to stay going on and stay hurling for a few more years, especially with all these younger lads coming on.”