EVANS LOOKING FOR BIG PERFORMANCE
JOHN EVANS guided Wicklow to their first championship victory in five years and he now has the unenviable task of preparing his team to face Dublin.
It’s created a great buzz around the county and a great buzz around the team and preparation is going accordingly.
“Firstly, Wicklow find themselves having won their first championship game in five years and it’s something new to a lot of the players, not all of the players obviously. It’s about keeping them focussed and keeping them grounded now. Secondly, they recognise they are up against the best team in the land and the challenge is exciting more than anything else. It’s put a different complexion on it and the lads are embracing it more than anything else.”
The team may have been forgiven for celebrating the win over Offaly given the rare nature of such results in Wicklow but with the professional nature of the game and the short break between matches that wasn’t the case at all.
“No, there were no celebrations. We got ourselves focussed and nowadays it’s all about recovery. We had a recovery night on the Monday and back training on the Tuesday.”
Evans spoke in the run up to the Offaly match that whoever Dublin faced it would be like killing a fly with a sledgehammer. He’s just as realistic with his game plan for Sunday.
“We’re trying to restrain the damage limitation, I suppose, with the likes of the Dubs. We’ll try to keep ourselves in the game and working very hard on our game plan, making things better than they were last Sunday week and hopefully things will be a lot better this Sunday.”
Evans’ honesty and realism is striking, while it would be the greatest shock in the history of the GAA if Wicklow won, many managers wouldn’t speak in such striking terms for fear it would damage their squad. Evans, however, believes being straight with his players is the best option.
“The first thing you do is be honest with players and be straight with players, you let them know where they stand. They realise the enormity of the challenge and how tough it is. If you don’t show respect the opposition you’re in dream land. You respect the opposition and then you assess the opposition and look, there is no doubting they’re the best team in Ireland.”
Jamie Snell is still receiving treatment and Evans is uncertain whether he’ll be available against Dublin, a call on that will be made later in the week. Brendan McCrea missed the Offaly game and is definitely out.
The likes of Darragh Fitzgerald however is definitely not out, he’s just one of a few players who impressed his manager against Offaly.
“You had Eoin Murtagh, Conor Healy, Darragh Fitzgerald, Cathal Magee, David Boothman, all those lads came on and I’d be hoping the subs that come on the next day will have just as big an impact. The performance is what we’re looking for from our lads.”