Concentration will be key to victory, says frustrated Ford

PETER FORD believes his Sligo side must rid themselves of the concentration lapses that cost them the Connacht final if they are to beat Tyrone on Sunday in Croke Park.

After watching the Connacht final a few times since the heart wrenching defeat to Galway, Ford believes the winning and losing of that game came in the 10 minutes after half time when Galway stretched their lead from six points to nine.

“Galway were playing with a gale force wind for most of the first half and three minutes before half time they were only six three up,” Ford said. “Even going in at the break just six points down, I still thought we were in a great position. What lost the game for us was the three points after half time, we had to come back from nine rather than six points.”

Although they had the advantage of the wind, which wasn’t that much of an advantage in the second half as it began to swirl, Sligo were unable to respond to Galway’s early second half scores, most of which came from unforced errors.

“The real killer was those three points in the first 10 minutes, and two of those scores came from poor hand passes, basic stuff, silly hand passes in defence. And they are silly mistakes which just come down to concentration problems.

“The team got careless, and in a game like that where there is only going to be a couple of points in the match, those silly mistakes will cost you the title.”

However, Ford also feels his side will be unable to carry as many passengers on Sunday as they did in Castlebar. While Galway were praised for their tireless work rate following the match, Ford believed some of his players let themselves down.

“People have said to me isn’t it encouraging that you came so close to beating the best team in the country,” Ford says. “In a way it is, but it is a lot more frustrating. I remember seeing Joe Bergin come off with 10 minutes to go. Now he didn’t have a good game but he was literally overwhelmed by exhaustion. He had worked his socks off, Galway’s work rate was just amazing.

“The same thing couldn’t be said about us, we had seven or eight players who didn’t perform anywhere near their capabilities. We made five substitutions but we could have made around eight. We were the team playing the All-Ireland champions, yet they were the ones who worked their socks off.”

While calling for an improvement in their work rate, Ford thinks his team learned a hard lesson in Castlebar. It’s not enough to be good enough, you need to toil relentlessly if you want to be among the best teams in the country. So, he expects work rate among all of his players to be upped this weekend.

“Some of our players have really been outstanding, none more so than Eamon O’Hara. But we need more players playing to what they are capable of. This is a stern test for this team. Tyrone are one of the form sides in the country, they seem to have shaken off their league hangover and they will be up for this game. We have to make sure we are, too.”

Last year’s carnival experience in the big smoke may help. Tyrone haven’t been in Croke Park since being squashed by John McDermott and company in 96, although some of the minors were there for their All-Ireland success.

“Last year’s two games in Croke Park will do us no harm. We performed well both days last year and while we were well beaten by Dublin in the end, it was only a few minutes after half time, when we conceded two goal that killed the game for us. Again, a little lapse in concentration.”

The more spacious surrounds of Croke Park has ensured every team is looking eagerly towards the venue this weekend. Ford thinks his forwards will never get a better opportunity to show what they are capable of.

“The thing that could be said about our forwards was that they haven’t a day this year to show what they can do. It was an atrocious day when we played Galway, and it was an atrocious conditions when we played Leitrim, even though we scored 2-13 that day. So, with the weather drying, and a lot of wide spaces in Croke Park, this is the place where the forwards can do it.”

Ford is being realistic, though. He sees Sunday as a chance for his team to make amends for their performance in Castlebar, but feels whether they do or not, hinges on the battle in midfield.

“Midfield is going to be the key sector, we can’t have Tyrone supplying the likes of Stephen O’Neill and Peter Canavan, we need to win a good percentage of the ball around the middle.”

With Eamon O’Hara on top of his game, Sligo people have to like the odds on that.