SFC Final Preview: ‘Those things do pull on the heartstrings a little bit’... Duffy answers Ratoath's and son's call

Ratoath v Summerhill SFC Final, Sunday 2.15pm, Pairc Tailteann (Extra-Time/Penalties if needed)

When Shane Duffy stepped away from Ratoath after the 2020 SFC final with a second Keegan Cup medal in his back pocket he did so content with his contribution to helping the club - and determined to spend more time with his family.

The former Monaghan goalkeeper had given most of his life to football and three years ago he felt it was time to give back to those who allowed him pursue his footballing dreams.

When he called time on his playing days Duffy turned his attentions to creating memories with his family, but then last Christmas his son wanted other memories and Duffy felt obliged.

"It probably didn't take much persuading to get me to come back. When you are playing with these group of players you end up hanging on for dear life for as long as you can so you are always asking that question when you do move away 'did I go too soon?'

"I made a decision after the 2020 final that I wanted to spend more time with my kids. They were six and seven years old at that stage and when I'd come home from training on a Sunday morning they'd be asking what were we doing for the rest of the day, but my body was saying I can't do anything.

"I wanted to be fair to them. I've had a great couple of years with them and doing lots of different things, getting them more and more immersed in the GAA.

"It was actually my oldest, Adam who's 10, who said to me on Christmas Day 'are you definitely retired?' I told him I had been retired for two years, but he said he'd love to see me play again.

"Those things do pull on the heartstrings a little bit. There was a seed planted at that stage.

"I did a little bit of training myself preseason. Spoke to the lads over a period of time and I did say I would come back in. For different reasons I couldn't commit fully to it, so it was a sort of a process which we managed well.

"An opening came up towards the end of the league. I played the league final and played fairly well. I played a few challenges which went fairly well, then injuries got in the way again before I got back in for the Dunshaughlin game.

"It was a big risk by the management. Cian (O'Farrell) has been in there this year and he has been playing well. He is a good young 'keeper, he plays off the front foot, he has a great kickout, he's very vocal. He's been doing everything right.

"One part of me is delighted to be back, but another part of me feels very guilty that I've taken the place of a young lad who has done absolutely everything that's been asked of him. He has been brilliant and he is going to be a great asset to this team. Even the way he has responded to me coming in, he's been brilliant and that's testament to him.

"It is great to be there. The Dunshaughlin game was the first championship game I've played in three years. I was asking questions of myself, do I still have it, but I'm happy enough."

Now that he's back and firmly established as number one between the sticks Duffy knows to expect a stern test from Summerhill in Sunday's final.

"We are very familiar with each other. Each bench has four or five players that won't weaken the team in any way. The calibre, the personnel, the character of both teams is great," said Duffy.

"I've always had a huge respect for Summerhill. Even in my days in Monaghan they were a team I would have been very familiar with because we were at the top table in Monaghan for a few years and we played them in challenges because we wanted to pit ourselves against the best and it was them and Skryne who were at the peak of their powers.

"There is huge respect there, I'd like to think it's a mutual respect. All the big games we have played there has been a lot at stake for both teams and at the end of it all there has always been a handshake and on to the next game.

"Rarely more than a kick or two of the ball between us when we have played and that is what you expect between two strong footballing sides. You'd like to think it will be the same next Sunday."

While acknowleding that Ratoath were expected by many to reach the final Duffy admitted that it hasn't all been plain sailing, but he is delighted to have some key men return to peak fitness at just the right time.

"It has been quite fractured to be honest. We haven't hit the heights that we would have expected of ourselves for lots of reasons and for other reasons that we can't just put our finger on.

"The last group game against St Colmcille's was a pretty poor reflection of where we are at and they turned us over very easily and physically and we didn't pose much of a scoring threat.

"We thought we would get a reaction the next day out against Dunshaughlin, but we didn't to a large extent and then we hoped for a reaction again against Donaghmore/Ashbourne but it didn't happen.

"When you put all those things together we still have a lot of questions to answer. People will tell us it is no harm going into a final when you are in that position, but we have to answer those questions.

"I don't think those games put in seeds of doubt, but it does make us ask questions 'well how do we get the best out of ourselves?'.

"This is still the same group of players that have been there or thereabouts for the last couple of years, so we are still dealing with the same personnel, but for lots of reasons, and injuries have played a part.

"Take a player of the calibre of Joey Wallace out of that squad will obviously have an impact. Take Cian Rogers out as well and that's two of your marquee forward line gone. Obviously Gavin McGowan is just coming back, he has had his own injury issues, as has had (Conor) McGill and a few other lads.

"They are big game players and when they come back from injury it can take a while to get back up to the heights. So all those things combined on top of poor form has just been one of those years.

"Everyone would assume that Ratoath have the strength-in-depth to deal with that and largely we do, but equally we start to get a bit threadbare.

"The players that have come in to replace those lads at different stages maybe didn't hit form or had injuries of their own and then it starts to get a little bit more difficult. Then players start to mind themselves a little bit more because they are conscious that if another big game player goes down then there could be problems.

"I won't say we have a full bill of health, but we are certainly in a better place now than when we started. It is now just about getting a performance on the day," said Duffy.