Redmond to remain for another year as manager

YOU always know when a manager is a perfect match for a team. And you know it without even knowing it, in a funny kind of way. It’s there in the hunger for possession, how tuned in the footballers are, the ambition they show, the togetherness they display.

Damien Redmond and AGB would appear to be a perfect example of that perfect match. Alan Costello and Tinahely as well. The difference on the night came down to wayward shooting and work.

‘We were lucky in the first half, Tinahely had 10 wides I think. They were under pressure with the kick-outs, our defence was very strong.

‘We worked well on the kickouts, something we haven’t been doing too well in the last couple of games. We dominated that, and the likes of Darragh Fitz, Cormac O’Shea was outstanding, Ciaran O’Shea was outstanding, so it was good to finish off a good year, (want) more next year, but good to finish this year (on a high),’ said Damien Redmond.

‘We worked really hard. Stephen Hurley dictates everything. Karl Kirwan got the call up for the county and we rewarded him with the captaincy, and he was fantastic, absolutely fantastic, dictated the whole game from corner-back,’ he added.

A November league final wasn’t part of the fixtures plan when both these teams collided earlier in the season in Joule Park Aughrim.

A late Chris O’Brien point saved the day for the Arklow men that evening and the all-consuming work of championship left the replay out of the question until after the business end of both championships.

Damien Redmond had no is- sues with the game being played in Ballinakill and he paid tribute to the staff for having the pitch in such wonderful condition.

‘The pitch is fantastic, credit to the staff up here, and a great crowd out there as well. I don’t think it mattered (that the game was in Ballinakill). People just wanted it played, it shouldn’t be this late, but these things happen,’ he said after the game.

Things hadn’t looked so promising for the AGB men earlier this year.

They were floundering ever so slightly until Redmond returned to take the helm and since then they have prospered, running Rathnew close and showing all the signs that they can go on and thrive at the top table of Wicklow club football for years to come given the youth on the team and the tireless work being put in at underage.

Redmond says it’s all about progression for this young team, and winning trophies.

‘Good in terms of winning another cup – that’s four years in a row we’ve won something. We aim to win something out of every year. In the championship we ran Rathnew to a point.

‘If we had got level, you’d never know we could have bet them, could have been in the final. But then again, when they have Jody Merrigan and Damien Power and these lads: savage.

‘But, listen, we’re happy, we’ve progressed another step, from the quarter-final to the semi-final. We’ve a few young lads coming through, the likes of Ben Fennell and Sean Crowley, Thomás Lynch and a young Cole chap coming through,’ he said.

And what about his own position. Will Damien Redmond be manager of AGB for 2019?

‘One more year, he said, one more year’.