Make no mistake this is a huge achievement on a lot of levels. To go ten points up against a Cavan team chasing promotion, that toyed with us last year at the same venue, is mind blowingly impressive.
To do it without some of the stars of the season so far (Peter Healy, Oisin Leneghan, Big Pat, midfielders Conor and Kevin, Ryan, Dermot and Adam - plus medium term injuries Paddy Mc Aleer and Jamie Gribben - elevates the level of impressiveness even more.
To remain secure with a panel that was depleted of its spine right up the middle before a ball was kicked - Oisin, Ricky, James. MIck, Conor, Tomas , Paddy C etc - and as a result much of its on pitch leadership - is truly amazing.
Such was level of transition I feared we would drop a division to allow the rebuild time to settle, and to do so without having to deal with the fall out of the negativity that would surround that is a massive plus.
A lot of the players headed out in Belfast last night, city and country lads together. and somewhere in Dunboyne I hope Andy was sipping a good red, content in the knowledge he has achieved his main target for the season and the rest of it is in his hands ...and the debacle of Mullingar is whitewashed from the psyche.
Maybe we can all get fully behind this now.
