Last Sunday his wife Julie gave birth to a baby daughter Eve and by Saturday evening he and his Dundrum teammates were the talk of the NCU.
In what was a tremendous all round team performance it was McNerlin who stole the show and took the TCH Down Democrat Man of the Match award in the shock result of the second round matches.
For Dundrum victories in the Challenge Cup have been like waiting for buses, none for years and then two inside a fortnight.
In a week were most of the focus has been on both Waringstown and Instonians postponing their matches due to player involvement in the Ireland squad, Cliftonville elected to play at The Meadow minus their international star Paul Stirling.
Credit to them for making the call and their captain Brian Anderson is well aware that his Premier League side should still have been good enough to see off the challenge of a Dundrum team also missing key players Darren McCann and Richard Shilliday.
Rodney Hassard won the toss under the watchful eye of Kieran Moloney, CEO of TCH Down Democrat Media who was making his first visit to the Co. Down club. I can assure you it certainly will not be his last especially if he can secure them a home draw in this Thursday’s quarter final.
It was Hassard who drew first blood for the home team as Neil Cahill drove in the air and Darren Oldroyd took the catch in the covers. Ricky Stirling and Gareth McKee cautiously took the score to 38 before in the 11th over Stirling picked out Joel Maguire off the impressive Lee Connor.
McKee and Johnny Terrett hung around for a further 9 overs before Terrett was bowled by Darren Oldroyd in a disappointing 2 overs which cost 14 runs.
With the score on 74 Noel Maguire took the vital wicket of McKee and the home side never looked back. David Munn provided the backbone of the remainder of the Cliftonville innings as none of the remaining six Cliftonville players reached double figures.
After 25 overs the visitors were 85 for 4 and the introduction of the spinners firmly put the brakes on progress. On what is perceived to be a small ground with short boundaries between them Noel Maguire, Joel Maguire and Gavin McNerlin sent down 29.2 overs at the cost of 71 runs and picked up 6 wickets.
It was though to be McNerlin’s day and he took the last four wickets to fall to finish with 4 for 24. None of the Cliftonville batsmen ever really looked comfortable with the notable exception of Munn.
He made 52 not out mostly in ones and twos only crossing the boundary ropes twice. Just as the innings ended there was a brief spell of heavy rain but it did little to dampen the enthusiasm of the Dundrum team as they rushed the covers on.
As McNerlin and Alan Tormey strode to the middle there was an air of expectancy and definitely more than a whiff of an upset in the nostrils. A good positive start and David would slay Goliath once again.
The opening attack of Anderson and Bell was seen off in style until Alan Tormey played a false shot against Bell and departed for 22 containing three boundaries. Mc Nerlin and John Tormey took the core to 61 when McKee accounted for Tormey.
It was crunch time did the home side have what it takes to see them through or would Cliftonville turn the screw and justify the favourites tag. Joel Maguire strode to the middle and we soon had the answer.
In a display of controlled aggression he hit four mighty sixes with both Connor Breet and David Munn being dispatched with aplomb. On two occasions he cleared the Moneycarragh River that surrounds the ground, one shot in particular which must have gone at least 70 yards in the air.
At the halfway point of the innings it was 102 for 2 just over two runs an over needed all that was required was sensible shot selection. Maguire fell for 43 with the score on 135 going for one hit too many.
Eight runs needed and seven wickets in hand, now it was all in control, captain Rodney Hassard was then out to a superb return catch by Ryan Bell, 146 for 4. Time for cool heads but no a succession of the home batsmen tried to finish it in style and suddenly it was 147 for 7.
The admirable McNerlin was one of those to fall, his 56 containing 6 fours. It was left to the wily Noel Maguire to strike the winning run and spark the celebrations. For Cliftonville Laurence Bell stood out with 4 for 34, but the Down Democrat Man of the Match award was no contest the icing on Gavin McNerlin’s week.
On reflection once the euphoria had died down, Dundrum did not really bowl at their best and certainly they had a real wobble with the finishing line in sight. If they learn the lessons it augurs well for the remainder of the season and the key task is to translate this result into the league campaign.
Rodney Hassard is now looking to progress further in the cup and hopes some of his team will be recognised with selection for the NCU Junior Inter Pro side:
“I rate Joel Maguire as one of the best off spinners in the league and he has started with two forties with the bat. Lee Connor again bowled impressively and Gavin has had an unbelievable day.
It’s a little disappointing that we did not make the victory even more emphatic and I will be stressing that we need more application when we are on top to finish sides off.
Now I am looking forward to the draw for the next round, hopefully we will get a home tie and I suppose our best chance of progress is against the lesser Premier League sides such as CIYMS or Derriaghy. We certainly have nothing to lose.”
Club PRO Jeff Maguire who has been around the club a few years longer has a slightly different view of things:
“I would love to get a home tie and it would be unbelievable to see the likes of North Down or Waringstown at The Meadow. To be honest I hope we draw one of the big names either home or away. Chances like this for our club maybe only come along every 20 years or so, we intend to make the most of it.
For a lot of these lads it would be a dream, perhaps their only chance to play at somewhere like The Lawn or The Green. For Premier League sides maybe some of the players do not realise the opportunity the have to play at these venues year in year out.
For Dundrum it would be a absolute privilege, this would be our Challenge Cup final.”
