‘The bond is stronger this year’
WICKLOW Ladies Football manager Mick O’Rourke is looking to go one step further than he did last year with his team and win the Division 4 league title. They’ve cantered through the league with a 100 per cent record and O’Rourke is more than happy to reflect on the positives.
“We knew there were going to be a couple of teams in the division that were going to be strong but it was always our aim to get back into the league final. The big thing we’ve taken from the league was how well the girls all worked together and the fact that we’ve had injuries throughout the league girls can step in and it doesn’t weaken our team in any position. We know how strong our overall squad is.”
All eyes are focussed on Monday’s league final and both teams had the chance to engage in a phoney war a couple of weeks ago in the last league game, safe in the knowledge they would almost certainly meet in the final. There were only five points in it but O’Rourke has a few ideas about how he will set his team up to counteract Louth’s defensive solidity, not that he’s willing to tell a probing reporter unfortunately.
“We beat them in a tight pitch up in Louth but the final is in St Brendan’s Park in Birr which is a bigger pitch. I think that will suit us a little bit more as we like to run at teams and use the width. That will stand to us but Louth will set up somewhat defensively and they are a strong side.
“We’ve been working on counter attacks and we’ll show them respect but at the same time we’ll go at them and we’ll work on things in training, we worked on things in the league semi-final that went well and hopefully we can use that in the final.”
Louth were relegated back down to Junior last year and have a few players who stepped away back in the squad to strengthen it. O’Rourke and his squad won’t take the result for granted and have the benefit of last years’ experience to help them.
“We’re only in our second year together, we were still getting to know each other as a management team [last year]. We’ve got to know who is best at doing what at training sessions and things like that. We’ve got our jobs spec laid out and the players themselves know each other better and the bond this year has been much stronger.
“We have the experience of a final from last year and also the experience of being beaten in a final and that’s something we don’t want to go back to.”
There are a few injuries in the camp, including Georgina Canavan who broke her ankle in the semi-final against Antrim and O’Rourke was quick to highlight that she turned up at training the evening after she had an operation. But there also a couple of players on the way back from injury and he is delighted that he has players in reserve able to cover each line of the pitch.
“The hardest job we have is putting out our starting 15 but at least if anyone is having an off day or if anyone gets an injury we know exactly who is coming on and the I think the girls have a fair knowledge of that as well. Georgina went down injured and Meadbh Deeney came in and did a job. We’re very lucky that we have a very strong panel.”
All that is left for O’Rourke is to appeal for Wicklow people to make the trip to Birr on Monday, he knows it’s a long journey but he also knows the effort his players have put in to get this far and would appreciate any support they can get.