Thirteen years between championship appearances!
June 21, 2016
Derry goalkeeper Michael Conlon
Michael Conlan played in goal for Derry against Louth on Saturday - 13 years after his last championship appearance!
The 38-year-old Ballinderry clubman is goalkeeping coach in Damian Barton's backroom team but was given a shock call-up last weekend for the do-or-die 1A Qualifier at Owenbeg after first-choice custodian Thomas Mallon (shoulder) and his deputy Callum Mullan-Young (groin) were both ruled out by injury.
'Mickey C' could hardly believe his ears when the manager asked him to step up for his first championship appearance for the Oak Lafers since a 2003 Qualifier defeat to Dublin at Clones:
"I've been in a coaching role all year but I found out I was starting, I was a bit shocked," the personal trainer told The Belfast Telegraph. "I only found out on Thursday night and I was glad about that, because if you had too long to think about it, it wouldn't have been good!
"With something like that, if you knew a couple of weeks in advance it could play on your mind and knowing on Thursday night I was able to get my mind focused on it, visualise different situations."
