'Bad cop' Maughan back on the Crossmolina sideline

The name ‘John Maughan’ immediately captured eyes and imaginations when it appeared third on Crossmolina’s list of ‘selectors’ in the Division 2 league final match programme as the Deel men got ready to face Ardnaree in Ballina.

It didn’t take much digging to confirm that it was indeed, ‘THE’ John Maughan, back involved with his native club 21 years after guiding them to an All-Ireland senior club final, Crossmolina’s second in three years.

The Deel men’s fall since Maughan’s departure has been considerable, but not precipitous. 

Relegated to intermediate in 2018, many predicted the club that won six county titles and an All-Ireland between 1996 and 2006 to, at the very least, make a good fist in Mayo club football’s second tier.

In six seasons at intermediate, Crossmolina have yet to progress beyond the quarter-final stages. But with a league title on the mantle, and Maughan in the engine room rather than at the helm, is 2024 to be the year the Crossmolina dine at the top table in one of the most brutally competitive championships in Irish sport?

Naturally, their manager, Brian Benson, isn’t getting ahead of himself. But bringing back Maughan was a statement of intent by a man who played under him back in the glory days of the early noughties. However, Maughan’s return was a long time in the works.

“I have a great relationship with John over the last 15 years or so. I asked John early last year would he come in and get involved. He had other commitments at the time and couldn’t come on board at that stage,” the man the players call ‘Benny’ told The Mayo News after the league final.

“We had a chat again - early January, I think it was - and he was all on for it. We sat down, had a chat and we’re delighted he came on board. He’s been brilliant to us, the experience that he brings is massive and it’s great just being able to bounce things off him considering all the years of experience he has at intercounty and club. He’s been phenomenal for us. All of the players have learned so much from him, and the management team too - we’ve all learned off him.”

The man, the myth and the legend of John Maughan can be hard to untangle. But what is certain is that he rarely, if ever, played second fiddle in any footballing setup.

“He’s the bad cop and I’ll be the good cop!” Benson quips with a smile. “He does a bit of the coaching and stuff. Management is a lot of organisation. That’s what I do. I kind of bring it all together,” he explains.

“The boys will tell you - John adds a bit of the steeliness and he lets them away with nothing. That comes from the background. He calls out anything that he sees. There’s no problem. That’s the way I wanted it. That’s why I sat down and we had that conversation.”

Fionán Duffy, Crossmolina’s scorer-in-chief for the guts of a decade, only has good things to say about Maughan, the two-time Mayo manager.

“A fantastic coach,” is how Duffy sums him up. “As Benny said, the experience he has, he knows it all. He’s been there throughout everything for the last couple of years and he passes it onto us and Benny and all the coaching staff. Everyone can feed off him.

“The main thing is probably the way he just challenging us. He’ll challenge you to get the best out of you, to do your best - you have no choice.”

Crossmolina begin their championship campaign on Saturday, against their nearest neighbours Lahardane. The lads from out the country are the reigning Connacht junior champions but their last championship meeting with Crossmolina ended in a 2-13 to 1-1 defeat. That match was just two seasons ago and took place in James Stephens Park, Ballina.

All things considered (see more on Page 11), it’s hard to see Lahardane faring much better on Saturday than they did two years ago. They only escaped league relegation thanks to a narrow win over Achill in a play-off, but hosting a match against their neighbours will surely get the blood racing.

Still, Crossmolina must be relishing a good old blood and thunder coming together of cousins, colleagues and old schoolmates under Nephin’s great, brooding shadow?

“We’re not!” blurts Benson, clearly meaning it when he says Crossmolina face a ‘monumental task’ in Bofeenaun.

“We’d rather not be playing them, but that’s what the draw threw up and we played them a couple of years ago, here in Ballina actually, and it was a really difficult game. These lads, our players here, they’re very friendly with all of the Lahardane lads. They went to school with them. Hopefully there won’t be any chat in the run-up to the game.

“No doubt, it’s going to be an absolute championship battle. It could be a lot of helter-skelter up there. That’s where we want to be. That’s what it’s all about.”