‘I see it as a two-horse race in a final’

In the aftermath of St. Brigid’s victory against Mohill, Jerome Stack said that he wasn’t “going to blow Corofin up” ahead of Sunday’s Connacht club final. He doesn’t need to. There are enough pundits predicting another era of dominance for Galway football’s most decorated club on the provincial and national stages.

But his comments could have been construed as the Brigid’s manager not rating this Corofin side as highly as the aristocrats of the game that went before them. That couldn’t be further from the truth. But, like all sides St. Brigid’s have faced this season, the preparation will be exactly the same.

“Every game we’ve played this year — from the first championship match — there are obviously certain things that we want to do ourselves and that we’ve tried to do. Every game we’ve played, whatever the opposition, we’ve talked about who we’re playing and take into account how we approach things relative to the opposition.

“That won’t change for Corofin. They’re just another opposition, obviously a very good opposition. But it’s the same process. You’re digging around seeing can you find something here, can you exploit something, or if you can protect something.

“To me, it’s the exact same process. It has been the same for every game this year in terms of our preparation. We didn’t always get it exactly as we wanted it on the day. But every team have got the same preparation and respect. It’s not as if Corofin are going to get any more than anybody else, they’ll get the same.

“That’s a credit to the lads that we’ve approached the games the correct way. Where that carries us remains to be seen,” he explained.

Since edging out Boyle in the county final, Stack feels that this side have negotiated their way around the landmines embedded within provincial club scene. There have been bumps and bruises along the way, but the only thing that matters, in Stack’s eyes, is that Brigid’s have been on the right end of the scoreboard.

“We would have been very happy with a lot of what we did in the Coolera/Strandhill match from an accuracy point of view. We had a breeze in the first half and we used it very, very well. That’s not as easy as people think. A lot of people make judgments from outside the wire of how hard it is to play with or against the breeze. A lot of people making those judgments have never played with or against a breeze, or never had to make that decision.

“We could have done better in the second half of that game, in terms of the way we managed it. But the bottom line with a lot of these games is that there will be moments when the opposition gains control, either through a bit of momentum, a bit of luck or simply by playing damn well. You got to suck that up and hope that you’ve done more in the game to balance it your way.

“Any team that win a championship in any county — and I’ve seen this in Munster — can’t afford to dismiss any team in their province. The day you do that is the day you’ll fall.

“Against Mohill, the weather conditions were more difficult, for both teams. To be fair to Mohill, they went about their business in a way that made it difficult for us. But it’s not the first time that’s happened.

“There have been tight games, but there’s a learning in that as well. You get used to being in situations where it’s not a foregone conclusion, they’re just tight games. There’s a mental skill in that in terms of becoming acclimatised to that sort of environment. You can talk about it as much as you want, but unless you go through that, you can’t really learn how to negotiate it.

“I wouldn’t be happy with everything we’ve done but the bottom line is that once you come out of the game and you’re through to the next round, I’ll accept it,” he explained.

While St. Brigid’s racked up some big scores in the county senior football championship when the scent of summer was in the air, scores have been harder to come by in recent games. But Stack isn’t unduly worried if football at this time of year is suited to his side’s strengths. His players have adapted to the landscape, and he expects them to learn some more on Sunday next.

“Physical strength comes into winter football more than summer football. With the conditions, there’s a lot more physical, bodily contact. But I wouldn’t get bogged down with that. It’s part of the game and you have to learn to deal with it. Just because you’re a young team, you’re still learning. You might learn what you shouldn’t do or you might figure out something that works.

“If you’re 18 or 19, there are things, by the time you get to 24 or 25, that aren’t just about skills. It’s about managing games. You can talk about it, but until you’ve gone through those sorts of games on a fairly consistent basis, the learning comes from that as opposed to anything that a coach can absolutely give you. You have to be inside that environment as opposed to coaches telling you what you should or shouldn’t do.

“This year, we’ve had to mix our game. It’s not as if before the game you say I want to play this or that style. You have to be able to adapt. That’s the makings of a good team — a team that can adapt to what’s necessary.” When asked for a prediction, Stack exudes a wry smile. Experience has taught him that anything can happen in a final.

“I see it as a two-horse race in a final. We’ve earned our right to be in the final, so have Corofin. As far as I’m concerned, you’re going out there to win a final. If you’re talking about potentially being in a final in two or three years’ time, I’m not buying it. We’re in the final now and we’ll be doing our very, very best to win that final,” he concluded.