Nugent enjoying life in the fast lane
Captain Bobby Nugent and DJ Hession will be hoping that Roscommon can reach their potential during Saturday's Connacht U-20 football final against Galway. Pictures: Courtesy of Roscommon GAA
Bobby Nugent certainly cannot be accused of lying idle.
The Roscommon U-20 captain has enjoyed a hectic few months. Aside from leading this crop of young players into a provincial final showdown with Galway, the talented forward was also a key member of the St. Brigid’s team that qualified for the All-Ireland club final back in January.
Although the Kiltoom-based outfit saw their dreams of lifting the Andy Merrigan Cup for a second time shattered by a Conor Glass-inspired Glen outfit, Nugent has certainly not carried over any hangover from the club to the intercounty scene.
He admits that 2024 has been an extremely busy period, but affirms he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It has been a hectic couple of months. I got two or three weeks after the club final to just let the body recover, which was grand, but I was delighted to be back in and preparing for the Connacht championship. It has been hectic, but it is great when you are winning games and going well. You want to keep it that way,” he stated.
Roscommon’s final group game against Leitrim was, in essence, a knockout tie. A win would have seen them progress through to the knockout stages while a defeat would have consigned them to the B championship.
Although a draw was enough for progression, Roscommon knew that their hopes still hung in the balance. Noel Dunning’s side needed to deal with a sizeable Leitrim support in Ballinamore as well, as Andy Moran’s men eyed another famous scalp after downing Mayo earlier in the campaign.
In the end, Nugent believes that his side’s ability to deal with a huge Leitrim following bodes well ahead of a crunch showdown with Galway.
“It was a great experience. It was a smaller ground than the Hyde, which meant the crowd was closer to you and the pitch, which made for a great atmosphere. It was a great game for us and a big learning for us to play in front of a great crowd.
“I know there were a lot of Roscommon supporters there but Leitrim probably outnumbered us on that one, but it was great to get through it,” he explained.
Nugent highlights that the change of format for this year’s competition has allowed his charges to gradually improve and develop as the competition has progressed.
“You have seen it with Sligo the last couple of years. They have gathered momentum and have been the kings of Connacht the past couple of years at U-20 and minor level, so it is all about momentum. It’s about just pushing on, winning a couple of games, and you never know where you might end up,” he added.
The modern underage player has arguably more potential distractions than ever before. The ever-increasing rise in social media usage, even in the GAA sphere, means that completely avoiding talk of a big game online is a near impossible task.
But Nugent feels that he is well equipped to remain solely focused on the task at hand.
“You read stuff online and you try not to pass too much heed of it. You just focus on your own preparation. Obviously, it is hard with Instagram and all that, but you just have to focus on your own game. You see bits online, but it is just part of the build-up now. I try to pass no heed on it,” he concluded.
