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You are > Home > ‘Rossies’ quality would have delighted Dermot’
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Wednesday, July 28, 2010
‘Rossies’ quality would have delighted Dermot’
One could have imagined the interview with the late Dermot Earley minutes after last Sunday week’s Connacht final triumph against Sligo.
The interviewer may have asked: “Dermot, what did you make of that performance from Roscommon?”
With a clenched fist and emotion palpable in his voice, Dermot would have simply replied: “Mighty, mighty, mighty.”
The weeks since Dermot’s death have been tough for the Earley family but the irony that Roscommon should produce a performance of such stature in their first competitive game since the great man’s passing hasn’t been lost on most people.
His brother Paul admits that it was difficult to reel in his emotions when he knew that Roscommon were going to be Connacht champions.
Naturally he thought of his late brother and the great satisfaction Dermot would have derived out of seeing Roscommon playing so well.
“It meant so much to the team and it would have meant so much to Dermot.
To see Roscommon play such great football, particularly during the opening half, with brilliant scores and no negativity was the most pleasing aspect.
“Dermot would have loved the way the Roscommon players executed the skills of the game great foot passing, moving the ball quickly, Donie Shine’s free taking and Cathal Cregg’s ability to read the breaking ball. He would have been very impressed with the quality of Roscommon’s football.
“He loved close games. He relished playing in games that went down to the last minute. It’s great to win a close game against all the odds,” explained Paul.
Sitting in the commentary box beforehand, Paul felt that form would point to a Sligo victory. But he always hoped that Roscommon could stay in contention for as long as they could and put doubt in Sligo’s minds.
“If I’m being honest, I expected Sligo to win by a few points. I felt there was a big performance in Roscommon though. I suppose, like most people, I was just hoping that Sligo might become nervous because of their position as overwhelming favourites, something they weren’t used to.
“When you are co-commentating on a game, you have to be biased in these situations. I really didn’t think about Roscommon winning. I couldn’t allow myself to think like that. At half-time I felt that Sligo could come back and with minutes remaining with the momentum, they should have closed out the game. “Then we saw the steel of this Roscommon team.
When Donie pointed his second last free, I knew we had a great chance,” he revealed.
The former Roscommon forward added that Fergal O’Donnell and his management team got it spot on tactically against the Yeats County and laid down their marker early.
“When you win the midfield battle, it sets you up for the rest of the game.
Michael Finneran set the platform with his aerial ability. As a result Roscommon were able to play attacking football knowing that their midfield was so dominant.
“Sligo’s running game wasn’t functioning and I think they erred in not putting Eamonn O’Hara in front of their full-back line.
O’Hara plays his best football coming from deep and it lifts the crowd. He excels in a central role but he was out on the wing. Perhaps Sligo thought they could weather the storm and go on from there,” he analysed.
Looking ahead to the AllIreland quarter-final next weekend, Paul suggests that Roscommon are in the same situation as they were entering the Connacht final.
There will be no pressure on the team and they should be able to kick on from their success against Sligo.
“The players have proved that they can play high quality football, something we hadn’t seen from them. A lot of people, including myself, questioned whether they were good enough to win a Connacht title.
“Individually, it’s a huge boost to the players and they’ll be hoping to repeat that level of performance next weekend. The belief and reassurance that comes from winning a provincial title will be huge.
“It’s a chance to experience a big game in Croke Park without any real pressure. I met them in Claremorris before the Connacht final and I couldn’t get over how relaxed the players were. They’re in a great position now,” he summarised.
When John Maughan resigned after a string of poor league results in 2008, Paul Earley stepped in to take charge of the team for their final two league games. As a result, he was delighted for the players on Sunday week last.
“They’re a wonderful bunch of lads. No group of players deserves this success more. Kerry footballers tend to win a lot but they won’t have got the same satisfaction as the Roscommon players derived from winning this title. After so many big defeats, these players came back and won against all the odds. I couldn’t say enough of positive things about them,” he declared.
However, he sounded out a word of warning and stated that Roscommon have some way to go to being one of the top teams in the country.
“There’s always a danger when you win a Connacht title but I think people know that Roscommon are not at a level where they could be considered one of the top three or four teams in the country.
“It’s all about controlling your own performance. When there are ten or 15 minutes remaining, the key is to continue doing the things that served you well up to that point. I think the benefits of winning a close game will stand to this team next weekend,” he asserted. Looking at the bigger picture, Earley stresses the importance of getting out of Division Four as quickly as possible.
“That will be the next pressure point for this team. They have to be playing at a higher level of football during the spring to set themselves up for the championship. If they can improve, there’s no reason why they can’t challenge more consistently for a Connacht title.
“This team have huge potential and that’s based on the underage structures in the county. They’re the building blocks to producing a good senior team.
However, now is the time to place an even greater emphasis on underage football in Roscommon,” he concluded.
A telling statement just in case anyone starts to lose the run of themselves.
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