John Heslin frustrated by Leinster quarter-final being held midweek

"Playing on a Tuesday night is tough. I hope they realise that."

Tue, 05 Nov, 2024 - 06:45

Paul Keane

St Loman's star John Heslin has hit out at the 'disappointing' decision to stage their 'very important' Leinster club SFC game on a midweek evening.

The Westmeath champions will play Castletown of Wexford under lights in the provincial quarter-finals next Tuesday.

The game was initially pencilled in for this Sunday but the majority of Castletown's team are dual players who have a provincial hurling tie on Saturday - so the football fixture was pushed back.

There is some good news for St Loman's as their floodlit Lakepoint Park home has been chosen to host the 7.30pm fixture next Tuesday.

But experienced Heslin, a PhD graduate who works in agriculture, said staging such a significant game on a midweek evening is 'disappointing' and 'frustrating' for him.

"You know, people work," said Heslin. "Not everyone just works down the road, in the post office, or as a teacher. There are loads of different jobs and people are asked to play in a very important game on a Tuesday night. It means so much to the club and to the whole country and they're asking you to play on a Tuesday night. Like, would you play on a Tuesday night?"

Heslin railed at the suggestion that he may simply have to take the day off to focus fully on the game which throws in at 7.30pm.

"I don't know, are you going to pay me?" he responded. "I'm not going to take a day off. I don't take many days off."

He similarly didn't fancy the idea of a half day.

"I won't be allowed to take a half day. Bills have to be paid. This football craic is only for a bit of fun. Playing on a Tuesday night is tough. I hope they realise that."

GPA chief Tom Parsons raised the issue of midweek fixtures just last month.

Parsons said that when he learned the GAA was pencilling in interprovincial fixtures for a Friday evening, it was an immediate 'red flag'.

Parsons said he had 'a few phone calls from players' over the issue as they 'have had to take a half day off work or potentially a full day off work'.

Those provincial games, organised by the Football Review Committee, with 6pm and 8pm throw-in times, ultimately went ahead but on the proviso that it was an 'exceptional circumstance'.

St Loman's demolished Meath champions Dunshaughlin last weekend to set up their provincial quarter-final fixture.

Manager Paddy Dowdall said the Tuesday fixture is 'not ideal' but wasn't as frustrated as Heslin.

"To be honest, the further you go on in Leinster, you don't care where you play," said Dowdall. "You don't care where it is or who you're playing, you just focus on your job in hand."

Loman's contested a Leinster final in 2017 and marked themselves out as genuine title contenders this term with the 13-point win over Dunshaughlin.

Heslin came strongly into the game last Sunday in the final quarter with five points in that period.

"If you focus on titles you kind of trip up over your own feet," said Heslin. "We came to get the win, to put in a performance, and it'll be the same again next time out.

"You have to get the bodies right as well, get the recovery in. Premier League players find it hard to play week after week. So we have to get the bodies right, get the recovery in, get the food in, do ice baths, get the work schedule correct and get the body correct and get them right to put in another performance, whoever it is we're playing and wherever it is."

Fola Ayorinde and Danny McCartan struck the goals against Dunshaughlin but it was a strong team performance as Loman's built on an eight-point half-time lead.

"Look, there are still things to work on," said Heslin. "If you come away thinking you're great lads then that will be your downfall."