Dineen continues to keep things simple

For a man who has achieved so much within Roscommon football, Nigel Dineen likes to keep things simple.

Having been parachuted in to take charge of Elphin in February of this year, Dineen recalled that when he was approached, he sought two simple traits from the group — a willingness to work hard for the cause and a complete buy-in from the collective.

“I wanted a commitment from the lads and to get an opportunity to look at some of the younger players too. I think we got that opportunity to look at the younger players in the league when a lot of the older lads had to make their minds up on whether they were coming back or not. That was fine too.

“We left them to decide that themselves. Consequently, we have blooded in a good few young lads, so we are happy with that. We just tried to work on a gameplan that would work and that we would compete with,” Dineen explained.

Last time out, Elphin’s rearguard helped them to keep an Éire Óg side with Brian Greene, the returning Liam Creaton, and Conor Cox to just two points from open play.

They have conceded a combined total of 2-19 in the championship to date. For context, Strokestown shipped 1-9 against Fuerty — just under half of Elphin’s concession rate in the entire championship.

“Defensively, we have been more solid. What you are trying to do is not to concede any silly scores, especially goals. This year, we have been tighter in our approach and when you look at the game against Éire Óg how tight it was, it was only small, little margins. We got the goal and they didn’t get one, and that was the difference between us,” he noted.

Aaron Brady’s role in this Sunday’s county final will be intriguing. The Elphin shotstopper has revelled in challenging the opposition’s kickouts and striding forward with possession.

Dineen admitted that Brady is a crucial piece of the Elphin puzzle. Of course, there’s always the danger if the ‘keeper is caught out of position even once, then Elphin’s dreams would, most likely, be dashed.

However, Brady’s distribution and his presence in midfield have been a major weapon in Elphin’s arsenal, although Dineen points out that there is a continuous risk versus reward debate with regards to his goalkeeper abandoning the sticks.

“For Aaron, we encourage him to work with his defence, firstly. It is game-by-game whether he comes out or not. You have to be careful because you have seen in the past what has happened with ‘keepers going out and leaving the back door open.

“He is a fine keeper and his kickouts are very good. He is a very important part of our overall preparation and team,” the former Roscommon U-21 manager stated.

With Dineen now in his third term as a county councillor, he admits that free time is at a premium. However, he credits the support of his backroom team for helping to ensure that Elphin are just one win away from the sweetest of successes.

“You just have to work around everything — family, the day job and all that. Our work with football is usually during the evening time. You have to prioritise your time, there isn’t much time for anything else. I enjoy what I do, and I am lucky enough to be in this position where we are in a county final on Sunday.

“I have a very good management team with me and they are very important to me too. You need a strong management team along with the team you are working with,” he concluded.