WE’LL BE BANKING ON HOME RULE TO STAY IN TOP FLIGHT
Galway’s Nugent expects tough campaign...
THEY love their hurling in St Flannan’s College and take pride in pupils who go on to achieve great things in the sport, Ger Loughnane, Anthony Daly, Davy Fitzgerald, Tony Kelly and Shane O’Donnell among them.
Not too many from the acclaimed Ennis academy have excelled in the ‘garrison game’, but past pupil Maurice ‘Mo’ Nugent has built up a football CV of considerable merit.
Not only is he established as a pillar of the Galway United defence, Nugent, while a student in NUIG, represented Ireland in two World Universities Games in Taiwan (2017) and Italy (2019), where he captained the team.
After becoming a regular at Galway United, he spent 2022 at London non-league outfit Hendon FC, three-time winners of the old FA Amateur Cup, before returning to Galway United for the 2023 campaign.
At 25, Nugent is braced for a monumental challenge on the back of promotion to the Premier Division. After winning 30 games out of 36 while cantering to the First Division title, he knows it’s a new ball game this year.
“We are in a better position this season”
Along with Waterford, Galway will find the step up from the First Division is huge and that all points that can be tucked away, especially on their Terryland turf, will be precious.
‘We are under no illusions. To be able to compete in that is the main thing. Home points are going to be massive,’ added Nugent. ‘I know it’s boring but it’s game to game for us. It’s one thing we did brilliantly last year. We never got ahead of ourselves.
‘I know this year Friday-Monday games will be a tough schedule especially in the lead-up to the mid-season break.’
‘We’re in a much better position than we would have been three years ago when John (Caulfield) first came in.
‘In the past, it has been kind of fragmented when Galway went under and I think there were three clubs, which isn’t good for anyone. The player pool isn’t there for that.
‘The club’s in a much better place this time and hopefully we can sustain our status in the Premier Division this year and build from there.’
While full-time at Galway, thanks to the backing of the Comer Group, Nugent uses his free hours as part of a long game approach to his career.
‘I was an electrical engineer in building services. I still do 20 hours a week when I’m not training,’ he said. ‘It’s everything that can be done in the office so it’s not so much site visits. It’s work you can do in your own time.
‘You could be tired going into training alright and landing into the office. It’s not that bad. You get through it. It’s not something most people would do but it’s worth it.’
‘I am willing to put that on hold to have a career in the League of Ireland, which is massive. I’ll be working the rest of my life.’
Growing up in Ennis, Nugent was like everyone else, walking into Flannan’s with a hurl under one arm and schoolbooks under the other.
‘I wasn’t as good as the other boys and had to give it (hurling) up quick! But I was better at Gaelic football. I played for Clare at minor level.’
A one-point defeat to Tipp cost Nugent a shot against Kerry in the 2015 Munster final, which would have been some occasion — Clare last won a Munster minor football title in 1953.
This year, he has plenty of big nights to look forward to, starting off at home to FAI Cup winners St Pat’s on the opening night of the season, February 16.
Champions Shamrock Rovers are in town on March 15 before the return of Bohs for the first time since the FAI Cup semifinals last October, on April 1, a fixture that will feature live on Virgin Media Sport.
In the corridors of St Flannan’s, there will be those taking notice. After all, Nugent is one of their own.