An air of quiet confidence in Newtown side

THERE’S a quiet confidence about the Newtown management team of Gary Kelly and Trevor O’Brien and their captain Matthew Kennedy ahead of the Wicklow Cup final this Sunday afternoon in the Carlisle Ground.

Last year’s defeat left the squad sitting in the dressing room in the Bridgewater Centre Park pondering what might been while appreciating the great success the club had enjoyed following their defeat on penalties to their opponents this Sunday, Ashford.

We sat down with managers Gary Kelly and Trevor O’Brien and team captain Matthew Kennedy to get their thoughts on all things Wicklow Cup. LAST YEAR’S DECIDER Trevor O’Brien – Honestly, what we did (after the game) was we sat down with two or three crates of beer and we enjoyed them. We did. We just thanked the lads for the effort that they put in and we didn’t get the rub of the green but I think it says a lot about out squad and us as a group that we were able to sit there for an hour and a half after a loss like that, especially on penos, and have a few drinks and a chat. We were upset but that’s what we did.

Gary Kelly – I think everyone was able to sit back and have a look and in the cold light of day it was still a good season, we still had two trophies in the back pocket, the Wicklow Cup was the last match of the season and we were always going to enjoy it regardless. Obviously, with the two cup finals the two weeks previous, we couldn’t really enjoy them because you always had the Wicklow Cup to prepare for.

So, once that was out of the way we went and enjoyed what we did win.

We sat in the dressing room and the bus driver was knocking on the door.

Trevor - He was beeping every two minutes.

Gary Kelly – It was probably half his fault anyway because he wouldn’t let us drink on the bus. He’ll let us drink on the bus next time.

We conceded a sloppy goal early on and we didn’t take our chances in the first half. We went and we got the goal back. We always knew it was going to be a tight game. I think we met five times before that and each time it was a 1-1 draw. I presume they’ll say the same but we felt that we had the better of the game and that we deserved to win it.

Trevor O’Brien – We had a great chance in extra-time when we got through to seal it and I think if either team had scored they would have won it, obviously. I think we had the better chances, being honest. Their keeper, I think got man of the match if memory serves me right, so that will tell you in itself. I don’t think it was the best game of football but in the grand scheme of things we should have won it in normal time.

Gary Kelly – It’s one we left behind. OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN Gary Kelly – Last year he (Matthew Kennedy) managed to get the captain’s armband a couple of times.

Matthew Kennedy – For the Wicklow Cup I did, PJ (Dowling) was injured. And the Charlie Bishop.

Gary Kelly – Leadership. It’s not what he says, it’s what he does on the pitch. He’s a natural leader. ON BEING CAPTAIN MK – It’s great. It’s brilliant. I’m delighted to be captain of a team like that, especially when I’m not from here. I’m from Kilcoole. Local neightbours. Goosebank. THE BIG SWITCH MK – Trevor was at me for a while to come over. Trevor – Stalked you. MK - And then things fell down a bit in St Anthony’s. I wanted to come up but I felt I couldn’t once there was a team down there and then the team went. ADOPTION SUCCESS? MK – I think so. Trevor – He’s a Gooseben now. MK – It took me a while. Can you ever be a full Ben? GK – No. I’m not even a full Ben. THE LADS MK – They’re a great bunch of lads. And we’ve lost some big names this year, big players for the team and have been for the last 10 years, Dean (Odlum), massive launch, Shane Mooney, a big player, he’s a big loss, and big personalities on the team as well. But, look, the young lads that have come in, it’s not a bother to them. I didn’t expect us to do as well as we have done. NEW FACES GK - Dylan (Carthy) only signed back for us at Christmas.

Trevor – He left to go to Greystones.

GK – Literally deadline day sign- ing. I had to drive to Greystones to get him signed and then drive up to Abbotstown and then go down and knock John Shea’s door at half 10 or 11 at night. Trevor – It was well worth it. MK – And you have the likes of Ross Davis as well. LOSS OF KEY MEN Trevor – The beauty of our squad, even since Mattie (Kennedy) came in, you’re talking about lads who have won wicklow Cups and leagues who have gone, but there’s always been a player who has taken the chance and grabbed a spot.

Ryan (Cahill) did it when Dean got injured, Ryan was playing primarily at midfield or just off the striker, and then he went up front and he replaced the goals. Now, you can’t replace a player like Dean Odlum but you can certainly replace the goals. And since Ryan’s got injured Dylan’s come in and he’s doing it, he’s got 10 goals in eight games. That’s the thing. We’ve always had someone to come in and do that job.

GK – It’s kind of been built like that over the years. We’ve had lads who are hungry to get on the team so if someone does drop out it’s not as if you have to go rooting to see who will fill that spot. PATHWAY TO THE FINAL GK – We’ve had all Division 2 teams. A bye in the first round, Greystones in the second round, a walk-over in third round, then Carnew in the quarter-finals, Fergal’s in the semi-final. We stand in the dressing rooms and we don’t worry what’s coming out of the dressing room, we worry about what’s coming out of our dressing room. We firmly believe, within the group, the squad, the management, that if what comes out of our dressing room does the job we’ll beat no matter who’s put in front of us. The only reason we’ll lose is if we don’t perform. It’s in our hands as far as we’re concerned. No excuses.

Trevor – And I think we’re being honest, and not being cocky, but there hasn’t been a team that has come out and really beat us, beat us off the park, it’s always we haven’t turned up, we haven’t performed. We’re always confident regardless of who we play. PREPARATIONS GK – Today (last Sunday) was a bit of a blip, we would have liked to have had a game (Rialto gave a walk-over in the Premier league). Due to injuries they said they couldn’t field the team. But, in fairness, we got a very good, competitive training session in. It’ll never replace a match but there’s competition for places, we’ve young lads on the bench who would get on any team in the county. ASHFORD GK – Genuinely I don’t care who is in the other dressing room. It doesn’t have any effect on our plans. We won’t plan any differently. We’ll set our team up and they’ll have to come beat us.

Trevor – To be honest with you, I’m different to Gary, I was delighted to see Ashford get through. Now, either or (Ashford or Rathnew), I would have taken either, but I was slightly happier to see Ashford because of last year and now no one believes in revenge or anything like that but it’s just nice to have a repeat and go at them again.

Gary – They’ve good players, they’re a good bunch of lads, they’ve got plenty of pace up front, they’re strong enough on the ball in the middle, they can play Jamie Kelly or Mooney up front, Finn Brooks is all action, but he’s going to have to be, whatever we field, again, don’t want to repeat myself or sound cocky but they’ll have to match us and if they can they’ll win.

MK – I’ve been playing against them for years, played with a few of them on the Oscar Traynor as well. They’re a good bunch of lads. I genuinely think that we are a better team. We are a better team. I know that for a fact. REVENGE MK - Definitely. Of course there is. It still hurts us as players. That’s the one game we didn’t want to lose. It’s the biggest game in Wicklow. CARLISLE GROUND GK - The Wicklow Cup should be there. It shouldn’t be in question. It shouldn’t be debated. The date should be nailed, whatever date it happens to be. Personally I feel it should be the last match of the season but it’s not. As Trevor says it’s the best ground in Wicklow so the best two teams in Wicklow should get to the final and it should be there. And for the young lads coming through, if the Wicklow League want young lads to aspire to play, they want to get to the Wicklow Cup final, you don’t want to get to it and be standing around wondering where it’s going to be played.

Trevor – Last year we were humming and hawing, waiting to see if the Carlisle was available.

GK – I think the Wicklow Cup should be that Bohs match (Newtown v Bohs) once a year. There’s no reason, well, there is a reason, it needs people to work and to do it and unfortunately the Wicklow League don’t have the people helping them to do it behind the scenes, the manpower to make it capable to do it. Simple little things: the Wicklow Cup should be an all ticket match, there should be tickets printed for it, and teams should have to pay. If you qualify for it you buy the tickets and sell them yourself and it’s an opportunity to make a few pound, the way things are going. All those silly little things that should be put in place but unfortuntely there’s not enough people to do it. PREDICTION GK – We’ll win. Don’t know how we’ll win but we’ll win.

Trevor – I’m very confident this year. It will be tough, they’re the holders, I just think we have the squad and the players and people hitting the right form at the right time and we’ll have too much for them to handle, I hope, especially at the Carlisle Grounds.

MK – I do think we’ll win, genuinely. The big wide pitch suits us down to the ground, we like to play ball, we pass the ball really well. I think if we turn up on the day I can’t see it going any other way.