Glynn pays tribute to team ethic and work rate
WICKLOW selector and Rathnew and Glenealy star Leighton Glynn was delighted after the win over Offaly and, like John Evans, he was happy with the contribution from the younger players as well as the work rate from the more mature servants.
Glynn said that half-time came at the right time following a somewhat nervous start by the team overall.
“We were definitely slow out of the blocks, the younger players were a little bit nervous, a few of our older players made a few mistakes, drifted a bit from the game plan, but half-time came at the right time for us and we got them in and hand a bit of a chat with them, the second half was the team that we have been training and worked on.
“It really kicked on in the last 15 minutes of normal time, and probably should have won it in normal time, Eoin (Murtagh) had a great chance, he went from his own goal to the far goal, and nice link play, and it was our younger players, Cathal (Magee) and Saoirse (Kearon) were involved.
“But they reacted great, it wasn’t a sob story or a moral victory and you could see that before they went out for extra-time, and in extra-time there was only one team in it really. They really focused.
Speed and fitness were the main ingredients in the victory and Leighton Glynn says that the team possesses players with plenty of pace around the middle third.
“We’re very pacey around the wings, the half-back line, the half-forward line.
“A few of the younger lads came in, we had Darragh, Saoirse was in, we had Cathal, Conor Healy, we had Mark Kenny and he never stopped.
“I was talking to Nial Darby (Offaly) and he said, “the lad I was on never stopped”, and that was Mark. He was buzzing, they were all buzzing once they got their gander up.
“Look, we took experienced lads off, you’re allowed bring lads back on in extra-time and it all clicked in extra-time.
“Jamie (Snell) was a big loss but Ross was solid. Ross was unlucky not to start, but he was focused when he came in. Dean was cramping up, we took Stafford off a bit earlier than expected, warm day, he did a lot of running for us, a lot of defensive stuff. It was great now,” he added. And the goal? “Sweet. The game had opened up, young lads again, linking through, the same for Eoin Murtagh, the chance he had at the end of normal time, we linked it, a few nice handpasses and a speedster gets in behind. I was really impressed with the young players, it will bring them on no end,” he added.