THERE is no great mystery, according to Maurice Shanley, behind Clonakilty’s unbeaten run in this year’s championship.

No grand reinvention. No dramatic change of approach. No secret formula.

Just taking each game as it comes.

That might sound simple, but there is an important difference from 12 months ago.

Last year Clonakilty failed to make it out of their group in the premier senior football championship, a disappointment that has remained in the background as they returned to action this summer.

This time around, they have negotiated their group unbeaten – beating Knocknagree and Ballincollig, and drawing with Castlehaven – and now face into knockout football, with a West Cork quarter-final against Newcestown in Dunmanway this Saturday (5pm).

And Shanley believes the importance of getting that first win against Knocknagree in late July should not be underestimated.

‘We haven’t focused on anything really in particular. We’ve literally just taken it game by game,’ the Clonakilty man explains.

‘I suppose we were disappointed last year. It’s crucial just to get a win in your first game. Last year, we lost to the Barrs in the first game, and maybe there was added pressure then.

‘But this year, yeah, we knew the Knocknagree game at the start was big, and momentum is a big thing in this championship.

‘That first win allowed us to play with more freedom afterwards.’

That victory over Knocknagree provided the platform for what followed, with Clonakilty going on to negotiate the rest of the group without defeat, emphatically beating Ballincollig in their final game to top the group.

Twelve months on from failing to advance from the round-robin stage, Clon have momentum.

There has been plenty to like about their football along the way, too, although Shanley is quick to stress that there is still room for improvement.

‘We’ve been taking it game by game. The first game, we didn’t look past Knocknagree at all. Same with the Haven, and then Ballincollig after,’ he says.

‘We’re all fully focused on Newcestown now. We know it’s a massive challenge.

‘We’ve probably been enjoying our football a good bit this year, and maybe it’s showing through our performances that we are enjoying it as well.’

That freedom will now be tested in a very different environment.

The safety net of the group stage is gone. There is no opportunity to recover from a bad afternoon. Win and progress; lose and the championship is over.

‘It’s another step on from the group stage,’ Shanley says. ‘There’s a bit more jeopardy in the games. It’s another stage in the year, you get through the first couple of group games to get into knockout football, and that’s what you play for.’

Standing in their way are familiar opponents.

Clonakilty and Newcestown have crossed paths regularly over the years, particularly in the league, meaning there will be few surprises when they meet in Dunmanway. Their last championship clash in 2022 finished a draw.

‘We know all their players. We know what they’re capable of,’ Shanley says.

‘We’ve had big battles over the last few years. We haven’t probably played them in the championship for a few years, but we’ve played them in the league nearly every year.

‘We know it’s going to be a massive battle over in Dunmanway.’

The stakes demand more from both teams now.

Clonakilty have already shown what they can do during the group stage, but Shanley knows the level has to rise if they are to progress.

‘Every team looking to make a county semi-final has to up the gear from the group stage,’ he says.

‘We know that. We know we’re going to have to add another couple of percent from the last game to progress to the semi-final.

‘Hopefully we can bring it now on Saturday, too.’

There is also something particularly appealing about the setting and occasion.

For Shanley, who remembers attending Clonakilty games as a youngster, watching big crowds gather for championship football, playing in these games now feels like coming full circle.

‘Growing up as a young fella, these are the games you probably started going to as well,’ he says.

‘I remember going to Clon games as a young fella, playing in Bandon, and there being massive crowds, and the crowd on top of you. It’s nearly come full circle when you’re actually playing in them.’

And now, after last year’s group-stage disappointment, Clonakilty have given themselves the opportunity to experience that knockout occasion.