Aiming for the stars
Calm, cool and collected – Dr. Crokes maestro Pat O’Shea
knows he has the star players who at their best can severely punish St.
Brendans.
 By Graham
Clifford
All-Ireland Senior Club Football
Quarter-final
Kick-off 1.30pm
Sunday, January 28
Ruislip
The O’Sheas of Killarney are something on an institution. Be it
in the arenas of sport or politics the family symbolise the diversity
and confidence which rolls around the streets of this beautiful town in
flood-like fashion.
It seemed fitting therefore that after a successful club career for his
beloved Dr. Crokes that Pat O’Shea would take the top job in the
Kingdom — manager of the senior county side.
It’s a treasured role bestowed on the chosen few — but for
Pat O’Shea the prospect of leading the black and ambers up the steps
of Croke Park to collect the All-Ireland Trophy for only the second time
in the club’s long and prestigious history is as mouth watering
as any prospective future achievements with Kerry.
The clash with St. Brendans has caused a large element of excitement in
the Kerry town with over 600 supporters expected to fly in for the All-Ireland
quarter final clash.
Pat said: “After hearing about all the people who are travelling
over for the game I think in future we should play all our home games
in Ruislip.
“Seriously the level of support the Crokes receive is second to
none. We’re 120 years old as a club and the level of loyalty and
passion we have here makes us so eager to deliver,” says O’Shea
in his usual laid-back but thoroughly focussed way.
This is in truth a game Dr. Crokes should win. However Kerry men give
little away and O’Shea chips in the usual rhetoric we expect from
the manager of a favoured side. He says: “On any given day any side
can win. There are elements such as weather conditions, home advantage,
knowledge of the pitch and other things which can result in a different
outcome to what’s expected.
“Also of course, and it goes without saying, the prospect of getting
through to an All-Ireland semi-final is a massive incentive for any side.”
In fairness to Dr. Crokes they’ve done their homework on St. Brendans.
O’Shea reveals: “We got a copy of the video of the London
County Championship final and I was impressed with how they played. Also
we have a few club members living in London and they’re our eyes
and ears. Also one of our lads Colm Fuller played in London last year
and is useful for information.”
In 1992 O’Shea lined out for Crokes in their Championship quarter-final
victory over Parnells at Ruislip — a repeat of that performance
and result would be welcomed around the lakes of Killarney.
When he gets a spare second O’Shea will realise that the year
ahead will be frantic on a personal level. Leading Kerry to the defence
of their All-Ireland throne would be more than enough for any manager
but as long as Dr. Crokes stay in this year’s club Championship
O’Shea will be there calling the shots, pacing the line and asking
for that extra ounce of effort.
Despite losing 14 players from last year’s panel St. Brendans
defied the odds to become this year’s London Champions. Now boss
Peter McNally believes they can go one step further
 Sunday will
be almost six months to the day since Dr. Crokes pair Eoin Brosnan and
Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper fired four goals past Longford to put
the Kingdom into the fourth round of the All-Ireland Championship qualifiers.
In one house in London a certain Longford native was not happy. St. Brendans
manager Peter McNally watched as his county fell to the soon-to-be-crowned
All-Ireland Champions with the two Killarney menaces causing havoc. He’ll
be praying they don’t repeat their antics at Ruislip on Sunday!
As McNally plans how his side are going to pull off one of the biggest
shocks in the history of All-Ireland club football he’s mindful
that there are no stars at St. Brendans, just a panel of committed players
who fight for each other.
He said: “At this club we play 15-man football. The lads have shown
so far this year that they play for each other. Yes Crokes have some big
names but we’re happy that if everyone does his job then we can
get the right result.”
In 2002 St. Brendans sent shockwaves across the Irish Sea when they ran
Connacht Champions Crossmolina to within four points but McNally concedes
the game against Dr. Crokes on Sunday will really test the mettle of his
team. He added: “If you look at the programme for last year’s
county final there were 14 players names on it who weren’t in this
year’s one. We’ve lost some key players such as Barry Solan,
Martin Gill and many others. These were excellent players and while we’ve
rallied extremely well this year their loss has been felt.”
Preparations haven’t exactly gone smoothly for the London Champions.
It’s been almost seven weeks since their last competitive fixture
and with the Christmas break in-between many players were unavailable
for training. Add to this the problems McNally has come up against in
finding an adequate pitch to play on at this time of year and you see
the uphill battle Brendans face.
Still there’s a measured confidence in his voice as he looks ahead
to his date with the current Kerry manager. Far from being intimidated
McNally says in a tongue-in-cheek style that Pat O’Shea should be
honoured to be in the dug-out beside him and not the other way around!
McNally is a realist though and says his one hope for Sunday’s showdown
is that: “The players give everything they have and don’t
walk off the pitch afterwards with any regrets.” He also realises
the importance of his decisions on the line and the advice and backing
given by his selectors.
So can Peter McNally get one back on Gooch and co for their goal blitz
against Longford last summer? He believes so saying: “I wouldn’t
be doing this job if I thought we couldn’t win.” It’ll
take an almighty effort from the hosts though if the Munster Champions
are to be rumbled at Ruislip.
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