Mickey’s like a new man in Royals’ attack
THE return of Mickey Newman following an absence of well over a year from the inter-county scene has proved a godsend for Meath in their pursuit of a return to top-tier league football for the first time since 2006.
The Kilmainham clubman hit 1-5 of his side’s tally on Sunday, contributed three points against Donegal and hit seven points in the opening-round victory over Tipperary.
Reacting to Sunday’s match, Newman said it was a relief just to get over the line.
‘Armagh came at us strongly, as we knew they would in the second half, but it was great to get the win. Even though we were nine points up at half-time we knew we still had an awful lot of work to do in the second half.
‘It was a very strong wind and maybe we should have been ahead by a little more at halftime. It allowed Armagh throw everything at us, but we knew that was coming.’
All of Newman’s tally arrived from placed balls, but some of them were crucial scores, especially the penalty goal in the opening half, while his two points after the lead was reduced to the minimum ended the Armagh revival.
‘A goal was always going to be massive, we saw that last week against Donegal, it completely changes the complexion of the game,’ Newman continued.
‘There was no real pressure, even though it proved massive, I just had to stick to my routine and strike the ball well.
‘I don’t think we panicked at any stage in the second half when Armagh
came at us and I think the communication on the field among the players went up as the lead went down. We were four points ahead last week and we didn’t deal with the pressure well enough and respond, so we were looking to improve on that this week and that is what we did.
‘We soaked up the pressure, a lot of lads came out with big carries against the breeze and I think it wore Armagh down, and once we got our chances at the other end we took them.
‘Donal Keogan won two frees in succession when there was only a point between the teams and it was my job to put them over the bar.’
With so many draws already in the division and some of the more unfancied teams causing upsets, Newman said he wasn’t surprised by the outcomes of some of the matches.
‘I’ve been playing in this division a good few years now and anything can happen. If you don’t turn up on the day, no matter who you are playing you will get beaten, it’s as simple as that.
‘Donegal were beaten today and we have everything in our own hands and I feel we are improving with every game.
‘It was very important, however, to back up last week’s display with a win today. We are not interested in moral victories at this stage. We played well for 60 minutes against Donegal, but that is not what we are about. ‘We to put were in reallyallyconneedbig a big conscious that we needed shift today and it will be the exactt same the nextt day down in Cork.’
Manager Andy McEnteee (pictured right)t) said the playersers must take great credit for the following way they the respondeddisappointing responde defeat up in Donegal.
‘It was in everyone’s mind that we coughed up a lead in Donegal last week, so it was very important that we responded here,’ McEntee said.
‘So the fact that it was on the players’ minds and they still came through the far end makes it better than just an ordinary game,
‘It was totally out of my control or the management team. The players have to take control of it out on the pitch and they did that. They changed the pattern of play, they slowed the game down, they waited for the right opportunity to attack and in that regard I would have to give them a lot of credit. They sorted it out themselves on the pitch.
‘A nine-point lead is nine points, but we were under no illusions of the task that awaited us after the break. The second half was a reverse of the first and Armagh improved their game. They tackled an awful lot better, they turned us over much moremore.
‘It was justju so difficult to try aand work the ball out against that wind. It really allyreally was a very strstrong, stiff brebreeze, so we wewere aware that we were going to hhave to face the same challenge lengechallenge in the second half.
‘We werwere a bit disappointed appointeddisappointed with ouour play in the opening 20 minutes of the half. We ended up bringing the ball into contact when we shouldn’t have brought it into contact and got turned over. But when we got to grips with it and started using the ball a little bit better and wiser we finished the game quite well.
‘In this division, if you win a game you can be on top and lose and you are fighting at the other end. That’s the beauty of this competition, every game is important. If you don’t turn up on any given day you are going to get beaten.’ WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13 Football A League at 8.0
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17 All County Hurling League at 11.0