Emma McCroary: 'We've come a long way and we're happy to be in Division 2 next year'

Robert Emmets star Emma McCroary credits the young players on her side for stepping up and leading the way for the team when the club needed them, which has paid off with a Division 3 league title, following a 2-7 to 0-7 point win over Four Masters. 

But it was the full-forward who put in a Player of the Match performance, nailing 1-6 over the course of an hour, but she admits that the main objective was not about individual accolades but rather getting a win for the team. 

“I’m actually not sure what score I finished with,” McCroary said following her team’s six-point win.  

“I suppose that can be pretty irrelevant when you’re playing a team sport, but it’s brilliant when you get over the line and we can proudly say that we’re back playing Division 2 football next season which is brilliant.” 

McCroary has been on the senior squad for as long as she can remember and admits that it was a long road to see the ladies team get to where they are today after a 2023 season that resulted in the side failing to field some games. 

Therefore she could be forgiven for being overcome with joy, but adds that she was most delighted with the younger players who filled the gap and took on major responsibilities. 

“We’ve come a long way from where we were last season, we couldn’t even field a team last year, whereas now, we see all the young girls stepping up and staring out there today in the final which is absolutely amazing and brilliant for the club going forward.” 

Despite Robert Emmets being the better of the two sides in MacCumhaill Park on Sunday, it took two goals in the last five minutes of the match – one of which McCroary herself scored – to firmly seal the north Donegal club as league champions. 

“The goals came at very important times for us. It was nip-and-tuck the whole way through the game, so we were happy to get those goals late on,” McCroary acknowledged. 

“Credit to Four Masters, they are a brilliant side, we played them three times this season, they beat us once and we beat them once, so it all came down to the final today and we’re glad to have come out the right side. 

“But they’re a fabulous team and they could’ve taken the game from us, thankfully, the goals just came at the right time for us and it got us over the line.” 

No doubt it’s a day Robert Emmets will enjoy but they know that championship is just around the corner and they will be aiming to make their mark when that competition falls too. 

“I think as a player you want to be playing competitive games and we got that this season, but we want to test ourselves and we’ll do that next season,” she said. 

“Division 2 is another massive step, but before that, we are looking at the championship, so we just have to put our heads down now and focus on the next few weeks.”