GOING INTO THE UNKNOWN
SLIGO BOSS NIALL CAREW SAYS HIS SIDE WILL NEED TO BE AT THEIR BEST THIS SUNDAY AS THEIR NEW YORK OPPONENTS ARE CONFIDENT
SUNDAY’S Connacht championship opener away to New York will not be a walkover like other years, according to Sligo manager Niall Carew.
The Kildare man said his side will have to be at their best to defeat this strong New York outfit, which contains key players who have featured at National League level back home.
He said with Roscommon getting the fright of their lives last year, winning by the narrowest one- point margin, Sligo are fully aware of the steely test these New Yorkers will provide on Sunday afternoon.
This is the fourth trip Stateside for the Yeats men and it looks likely to be their hardest, with New York somewhat an element of the unknown according to Carew.
He told the Sligo Champion that despite hearing about them ahead of the match, it all boils down to Sunday and what will happen after throw- in.
One injury doubt ahead of the championship opener is Niall Murphy, who pulled his hamstring during a training session but it’s likely the Coolera/ Strandhill man, one of Carew’s key players, will be ready in time for Sunday.
Aside from that the Sligo panel is injury- free after their recent club games in the league.
Carew said preparations have been going well for his side and everyone is ready for Sunday’s clash.
“Things have been going good. We’ve been training hard since our last League game.
“We had a couple of friendly matches with Laois and Wicklow which went well and they were good competitive matches which we needed,” the manager said.
“The lads have been busy playing with their club leagues, they had four or five league matches so they got plenty of football. Everyone is in good shape.
“Niall pulled his hamstring in training and should be alright. He’ll be togging out on Sunday and we’ll have to see how it goes. He’s back training this week and we will have to see on the day.”
He said they know how much of a test New York will prove. “It’s going to be a tough game. From the soundbites that are coming out of New York, they are saying that this is the best prepared team ever and they feel they can win.
“There is a real championship feel to this game and any thoughts about going over to New York having the craic and winning are no longer there. This is a big game and they are a good team and we will have to be at our best to beat them.” Carew said they have 13 players who have played National League back home in Ireland and they have players from all over the country on their panel. “They have fellas who are solid and they have been training extremely hard by all accounts and dropped 15 lads from the panel recently.
“They also had Donegal over there for a challenge and I did find out enough about them from that but when you’re not seeing them play it’s very much going into the unknown,” the manager pointed out.
“You’re taking fellas’ words about them when you’re not seeing them in the flesh so that’s a different story.
“This for us is going to be a real championship game and if we are not at our best, then we are not going to win it,” he added.
There are a number of Sligo footballers lining out for New York too, bringing added experience. Vinny Cadden won man of the match in last year’s encounter with Roscommon and he is joined by Eoin Flanagan.
“Vinny and Eoin are two very good footballers and they will know us inside out too.
“It’s a whole new environment, playing on an astro pitch and we have been training on an astro pitch, in fairness to the county board and Peter Greene, they have everything off to a tee involving the trip and have put everything in place that we need.”
He said his side will need to be professional and focussed for Sunday. “New York will know us inside out from watching videos from our League matches so things like that will stand to them.
“We need to go at this game at a real championship pace but I am very confident our boys will put in a big performance.
“I’ve spoken to Tommy Breheny who was over there back in 2007 and he filled me in and I also spoke to Kevin McStay from last year looking at it from every angle.”
Carew said it’s about a big performance from his side on the day and with many of the players already having faced New York - Mark Breheny having played all four games against them - the players know what to expect.
“Stephen Coen and Pat Hughes have been going well and David Kelly too has been going well as has Johnny Kelly who’s playing great. It’s about the performance on the day and I’m very confident our boys can put in a big performance,” Carew added.