'The challenges were there but that's what should excite anyone who is looking to manage a team' - Kevin Reilly

When Kevin Reilly was looking to take over as manager of Trim there were those who pointed to the pitfalls involved - but the former O'Mahonys and Meath player had little doubt it was worth a shot.

"People at the time said why go over there, expectations are sky high, they are after been beaten in the last two finals. The challenges were there but that's what should excite anyone who is looking to manage a team," he said as he stood on the Pairc Tailteann pitch minutes after Saturday's final was over.

On the sideline the Trim players were over celebrating with the team's supporters in the stand. The club had finally achieved their goal. They were finally back in the senior ranks and Reilly and his management team of Barry Dunphy, Ciaran Giblin and Paul Gilsenan could afford to take a bow.

"There is always a challenge in any job you take on. I spoke to the committee at the start of the year and the players. It was clear the players had the highest expectations of all and it's up to us to live up to those and thankfully we did. We saw a great display from the team today," said Reilly who had led the team to a very significant success indeed.

"There was some pressure coming from the fact that they had lost the last two finals but that's what you want. There's no point being a middle of the road team and just surviving, you want to be there, you want to be at the business end, you want to be challenging. I looked at the quality crop of players that were at my disposal, I knew they were a big plus in terms of the championship. They made it easier for me to decide.

"We changed things up slightly, tactically, a few new players got a start, a few lads dropped out but everything we asked of the players we got, right throughout the year. They delivered and all credit to them for that."

Reilly outlined how Trim had a game plan and the players executed it "relentlessly," eventually wearing down Oldcastle. He talked of how his team had endured a few "hairy moments" when Oldcastle broke through the defensive cover with Peter Farrell making some vital saves to help Trim's cause. "If they had got a goal at that stage it could have been a different story but in fairness the lads weathered any storm well."

Managers tend to over emphasise the danger their team was faced and there were moments when Trim were exposed. However, when the defenders were by-passed that man Farrell was there to shut out the danger.

As a defender himself Reilly was somewhat troubled by the chances Oldcastle generated. "I wouldn't be too happy with the fact that they had so many opportunities but in fairness to Peter and the lads they stood tall and kept them out."

Reilly said that while Trim were strong favourites complacency was never an issue. "After losing two finals, you just can't afford to be complacent, you have to keep going until the very end and that's the message we delivered."

Very pleasing for the Trim manager was the amount of turnovers his team executed. Some might not regard them as all that important but Reilly pointed to them as one, if not THE, fundamental reason his team's victory.

"Oldcastle are a strong, physical running team and we turned them over, I don't know what the final stat was, but that was the catalyst for the rest of that performance today," he added.

It was a day Trim supporters and Reilly, who is only at the foothills of his career in management, will remember and treasure for a long time to come.