Quote23:35pm
AS THERE is no train running to Cork this late, we go home in our bus
instead. Also
lads want to get back as soon as possible as some of the part-timers have
work in
the morning. Therefore we generally no longer have a meal afterwards. It
suits most
of us better that way anyway - particularly as tasty sandwiches from Perk
Up on
Bandon Road have been prepared for us earlier.
I catch Benno (Alan Bennett) robbing Biscuit's (Phil Harrington)
sandwiches. Benno
shows no guilt. When Greg O'Halloran takes the mic, impressions flow.
Nobody is
immune. Pat Morley is on bus as the gaffer has had him working with our
centre
forwards. Pat and Greg talk tales of Timmy Carey our ex-physio. Old stories
are still
the best.
There is a feeling of job well done but our minds are already on next
week's game.
We are talking through all the permutations. Derry are playing St Pat's
tomorrow at
the Brandywell and we're all hoping Pats can nick a draw. It makes it a
much more
difficult for Derry if they have to come down and win next week. The way we
played
seemed to demonstrate to me that we are better than Shelbourne. We just
have to
prove that we're better than Derry.
Derek Coughlan wins the cards, and as Joe Gamble drops me home he swears he
won't play cards again. He doesn't live up to his name unfortunately.
Home at 2ish, tired, but happy.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12
PLAYERS are scheduled in for massage this morning in Rochestown Park hotel.
I
arrive early at 11am. Defenders are due in first. You'd normally hear Dan
Murray first
before you see him, giving out to Tommy for going too hard on his legs. Tom
Enright,
like all good masseurs, knows how and when to inflict pain. 'I.T.'s' day is
the one to
dread when Tommy gleefully works his elbow into your thighs. It is meant to
get rid of
lactic acid and scar tissue that builds up during games. However today will
just be a
light rub, although Tommy still manages to make it hurt. RPH has become
like a
home from home for the first team and the enormous benefits of massage has
greatly reduced injuries in comparison to last season.
After my rub I do a little bit of core work in the gym. My legs feel tired
so I go to the
jacuzzi to revive them a bit. I've decided I'm not going to watch Derry
match against
Pats on television. Dinner won't go down right if I do. Switch the channel,
half hoping
I'll be nicely surprised by result later. But neighbour calls in to update,
"Just thought
I'd let you know Derry are two up." This news disturbs my eating. Well
that's that,
we'll just have to beat them at the Cross.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13
DAMIEN has given us the day off today. With all the games over the last
month or so,
its our first Sunday morning off for a good while. Having lunch with my
family, they try
to avoid talking about the match. I'm reminded by my sister Tara that she
has already
won a league medal this season so it's no big deal.
Trying very hard not to think about the importance of the match especially
after
talking to Biscuits (Phil Harrington) about losing the title on the last
day to Dundalk in
1991?
Did you play against Dundalk that day, Biscuits?
"I did Hog, it just didn't happen for us. Their goal was fluky, ball
trickled in. We didn't
play well on the day. If you start to think about the importance of the
match then
you're screwed,"
I'm trying hard not to.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14
TRAINING is at the FAI grounds in Bishopstown at 10.30, meaning you have to
be
there at 10.15am. Otherwise, you get fined the princely some of 10 by Neale
Fenn who
is in charge of the fines whilst being berated by team-mates for being
unprofessional.
Tommy's giving rubs in gym room while the gaffer is threatening ice baths
before
training. "It'll liven some of yee b**** up".
Sports psychologist George Tracey is there, seems to be trying to sense the
mood of
the lads. It's a fresh and calm morning, but Flynny is wearing ski gloves.
We're all
hoping he'll be fit by Friday. He's been injured for the last few weeks
though and so
nobody is sure whether he'll be ready. He doesn't take full part in
training, but is
joking about around the place, and constantly trying to distract people.
As this is a morning session, only the full-timers are in attendance -
today that
means 12 players. George O'Callaghan is in Dublin collecting some award. No
doubt
he'll tell us all about it when he gets back. Georgy likes to wind people
up by showing
off, it can either be very funny or infuriating, depending on the context.
Dave Hill
rarely finds it funny.
The gaffer's main method is to use small-sided, physical games to keep us
fit and
sharp. Today we have a six-a-side game, just keeping possession. I'm with
the Red
team, but the Greens kick our arse. The gaffer is playing with us to make
up the
numbers, so we're under pressure from the start. I must say the gaffer
still has a
great touch but these games are physical and so he's a liability. Don't
pass it to the
gaffer is the whisper amongst the Reds.
The game starts by playing 'all in' - ie, you can take as many touches as
you like.
However once the gaffer calls two touch only, that is you can only take a
maximum of
two touches, the pace and quality of the game increases dramatically. It
has been
clear all season that this is what we're good at - early and quick, at pace
and at high
tempo. As the gaffer says: "Nobody can live with us when we go one or two
touch." I
love these games, but hate losing them, and give a few team mates firm
encouragement about their work-rate. As with most ball games, you work far
harder
when you don't have the ball.
Denis Behan is losing the ball too much for us, I let him know, and to his
credit he
tries harder. This type of game doesn't suit Denis, he needs more room to
show his
strength and power. In shooting drills later Denis will blast in twelve
roofers while I'll
struggle to beat Mick Devine even once. Like most teams, every player has
different
talents.
Gaffer lets us decide ourselves whether we want to do any more. Fenny
suggest a
game of Two Touch. The rules are that you must keep the ball up off the
ground and
you have to take two touches. A number of eager players wander over as the
lads
have added a new rule to game - if you're knocked out first, then you have
to let
everybody flick your ear. Danny Murphy is proposing a new punishment as his
ear is
still killing him from Fenny's flicks last week. New punishments are
suggested but in
the end, its decided that the ear flicking will apply to everyone else
except Danny.
Instead, every player gets a chance to drill the ball at his rear end from
two feet.
Danny somewhat naively agrees. The banter is good.
Damien has a chat with me after training about the importance of focusing
on your
own game only as oppose to thinking about how the match itself will go. His
point
being that only through performing yourself will the team perform. This
makes good
sense to me.
Originally Posted by drinkfeckarse
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