‘It’s a massive opportunity’
If you’ve watched the Wicklow ladies in action this year you may have noticed that they warm up before returning to the dressing room to put on their jerseys. It’s one thing they learned from last year’s league final defeat to Longford, says team captain Sarah Hogan.
“With the warm up, last year we used to stay out on the field but then it came to the league final and you have to go out, do your warm up and then come back in again to get your jersey. This year, we’ve been coming out, doing our warm up and then going back in again. We’ve been getting into the routine of that for every single game that we’ve played this year.”
It’s all part of the learning curve for the team and they hope their experience will give them an advantage on Monday against Louth.
“The league final is a massive stage, one that you’re not used to every day. You’re on TV and different things that obviously do take an effect on different people. For a lot of us last year it was the first time we played on such a big stage and I suppose that will help us going into the final this year.”
The league campaign was an overriding success for the Wicklow Ladies, their opponents on Monday came closest to them and still lost by five points while they racked up double digit victories against others. Their average winning margin is 13 points. Hogan gave her thoughts on the league.
“It’s nice to get the eight wins so far. Against a few teams we were missing a few players, like against Louth we were missing two or three in the backs especially, and it didn’t matter, we had players to slot in and there was no difference. I think that shows we do have players who can replace other girls which is something we don’t always have in Wicklow.
“We weren’t happy with our performance against Carlow, we were slow getting going in the match. Having said that, we try to stay focussed on the positives rather than the negatives.”
Hogan and her teammates got the chance to see Louth’s ability up close and personal a few weeks ago in the last league game.
“I think the match will be very close. I think they have some fantastic players. They have a couple of key players in the forwards. They are strong so I don’t expect it to be anything other than a tough match but I am confident that we will get the job done.”
Louth have a miserly defence and have kept their opponents to
single figure scores for the majority of their league campaign with a sweeper an effective part of their game plan.
“They are very strong all over and the last time we played them they set up orthodox for the first ten minutes or so and then set up the sweeper. They jumped out from the back at us. We scored goals against the other teams but we didn’t get any against them.”
For Hogan the team’s preparation is going well but she is looking forward to getting the match over and done with rather than continue the preparation.
She was part of the victorious All-Ireland squad in 2011 and of course last year as well but this year would be more special as she is captain.
“It’s a massive opportunity, not something you really think of having [when you’re younger].
“When you want to play football you don’t think of the captaincy. Hopefully I will be lifting the cup. It would be great if everybody could get behind us and make it to Birr, to see how far ladies football has come in Wicklow.”
And so say all of us!