Ephie ready for another final fling
“We’ve gauged training on our experience against St Gall’s a couple of years ago,” says Fitzgerald. “We did a lot of heavy training and played challenge games before that and we were flat on the day, we didn’t perform.
“So we did the reverse this year — we played the games just after Christmas and tailored back then with training, we focused on A-v-B games among ourselves in the field, games we could stop whenever we wanted to work on specific things.
“Over the last few weeks we haven’t played any games apart from the Ballina match. We’ve stuck with ourselves and that’s been beneficial.”
Not everything in Cork has been as beneficial in recent months. The lengthy stand-off between the Cork County Board and its striking hurlers and footballers poisoned the atmosphere on Leeside for months.
“We’d made the decision after Christmas that we wouldn’t release our inter-county players to Cork anyway,” he says. “The strike probably meant they could concentrate on Nemo more and we might have got more out of them in training, maybe.
“Then again, the whole thing was probably a worry for them as well, so we mightn’t have gotten that much benefit out of it. It’s just a relief to have it over and done with.”
It means Fitzgerald can concentrate on Monday’s opponents, and the Nemo man has done his homework on St Vincent’s.
“I’ve seen a lot of videos of them. Ballina was our total focus since Christmas, so it’s only in the last two weeks we’ve looked at Vincent’s.
“They look very impressive — they’re very strong in the middle of the field, while anyone who scores 2-8 against Crossmaglen in 30 minutes has to be respected.
“Coming through Leinster they’ve gotten better and better. They beat Seneschalstown, Tyrrellspass, Portlaoise ... they’ve improved as they’ve come along, and they’ll be playing at home so they don’t have to travel and stay overnight. That’ll help.”
As a former attacker himself, Fitzgerald appreciates the Dublin side’s forward division.
“I don’t want to single people out but Connolly, Maloney and Mossie Quinn have been potent, scoring goals, and in Pat Gilroy they have a big man inside, so they can vary it.
“They’re young, they’re exuberant, you might see the full-back up supporting the full-forward line — and Croke Park is a pitch that would support that kind of play. I hear they’re training morning and evening, so they’ll be up for it. But so will we. I think it’ll be a good football game.”
The Nemo boss wasn’t taken aback, however, to see Crossmaglen beaten.
“I wasn’t that surprised. I was at the All-Ireland club final last year and thought Crokes should have beaten them the first day.
“Crossmaglen have been a great side over the years but they have a lot of mileage on the clock.
“I think Francie Bellew was a huge loss — even when he came on the last day he made a huge difference. In the second half they were better against Vincent’s but they’d just left themselves too much to do, while Vincent’s were fresh and hungry.”
Some of the Nemo players have a good deal of mileage on the clock themselves, of course.
“Well, take Niall Geary, he’s meticulous in his preparation. He wouldn’t be as quick as he was but he’s cute, and on the big day he’ll turn up. Our lads aren’t afraid of the big occasion, the likes of Niall and Martin Cronin are flying in training. I don’t have any concerns about them.”
They’ll need men with experience on Monday. Fitzgerald expects his side will have to battle.
“It’ll be tough, they have big, strong guys, but they look more of a footballing side than anything. Then again, anyone who thinks an All-Ireland final isn’t going to be physical is living in cloud-cuckoo land.
“Croke Park doesn’t lend itself to over-physical games because the pitch is so big, but whatever way it is, it is. We’ll just get on with doing our job.”
A job it may be, but does Fitzgerald get a kick out of it? Can the responsibility of steering a team to an All-Ireland final be an enjoyable experience?
“It is. Nothing beats playing, but there’s great pride in what the lads have achieved. I like the organisational side of things, and dealing with different players. Some fellas you can give a bollocking to, some you have to put the arm around. I’m relatively new to management and you’re learning all the time.
“I try to treat everyone as fairly as possibly, if they’re playing well and they’re in the team they’ll stay there. That’s a ground rule we’d have. I don’t feel any pressure — it’s a privilege to manage Nemo.”
There are no last-minute injury worries for Nemo. Maurice McCarthy had a hamstring strain but is available, while David Niblock and Sean O’Brien are back after being away in the US and Australia respectively.
So how do they prepare? “We lunch together and then have our team meeting,” says Fitzgerald. “Possibly our parish priest will come with us and say mass that morning. The lads like that.
“It’s structured — on the day before the game we go to see Croke Park and have a quiz organised.”
Asked who usually wins the quiz?
Fitzgerald gives the question a little thought. “The brainy fellas. Myself or Jim Cremin, usually.”
Would you doubt it?
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