Coyle"s blueprint for final success

THERE"S nothing as pleasing for a manager and his selectors than to see plans formulated on the training pitch come to fruition on the field of play with victory in the Leinster MFC final over a determined Offaly side the end result. Meath manager Pat Coyle had the pleasure of watching his side win the Leinster MFC title on Sunday however, it wasn"t a case of everything unfolding just as the blueprint had dictated. He has been involved in management long enough to know that a game rarely, if ever, unfolds with the neat precision of a chess game. Usually adjustments are required, a few switches here or a few substitutions there are usually demanded before the right formula is hit upon. He also knows that it can be a cruel game. While his namesake Colm Coyle stepped down from the senior position after the bitter defeat in Limerickon Saturday, Pat was left to ponder an All-Ireland quarter-final berth. Meath certainly had their difficulties against Offaly and alterations were required. Changes were made in defence at half-time. Later in the game Damien Carroll was moved from midfield to the '40" and David Ryan came on. David is the son of former Meath player Mick Ryan and he is unlikely to forget last Sunday afternoon for a long, long time to come. Neither will the rest of the players although Pat Coyle knows that the focus will soon have to switch to that quarter-final encounter against Tipperary. Coyle was aware of a certain amount of 'pressure' on his team to perform after the debacle in Limerick. They duly delivered and that made him a proud manager, a feeling that was surely shared by selectors James Battersby, Richie Cahill, Paul Clarke and Martin Blake. 'There was some pressure on us to deliver the goods all right, and the lads did very well,' said Coyle. 'Offaly are a very good side. We made a few silly mistakes, we ratified things and got things right again. These are a great bunch of lads, they never give up, they would die for you.' Having worked with most of the players involved right up through the ranks from u-14 on, Coyle knows what to expect from his troops. The understanding built up between the players and the manager was, Coyle added, a factor in the victory. It wasn"t so much a case of 'us against the world" but when it came to facing down sturdy opponents Coyle knew his charges would not be found wanting. Once he gets honesty of effort from his players Coyle is a happy man, win, lose or draw. 'The players know me, they know how far they can go. They don"t overstep the line but they"re a great bunch, they never give up. If we had been defeated to-day I would still be proud of them, they kept going the whole way.' As part of the preparations for the final Coyle brought the panel to Croke Park last week to have a look around. He felt it was a very useful exercise. Last year Coyle led the Royal County u-16s to victory in the Gerry Reilly Cup and he was delighted with that achievement. Taking the Leinster crown, in on a sunny day in July in Croke Park, certainly surpasses that. They"re could be bigger days ahead for Coyle"s Colts this summer. Not surprisingly he is not taking anything for granted. It"s one match at a time, one step at a time. 'They"ll enjoy a victory that gave a boost to Meath football when it was needed most. Then it"s back to business. The business of winning games. There"s still a long way to go but no matter what happens from here on in this has been a great year for Pat Coyle, his selectors and players. The manager says the progress so far is down to any secret formula. 'Right from the start we emphasised to the players that the whole thing was to work hard, take every game as it comes. Unity. We went away for a weekend to Roscommon and we made sure everyone knew each other well. They all fight for each other. 'We conceded two quick goals in the opening-half on Sunday. Another team might have dropped their heads but this team didn"t, they kept working.' This time around the work was rewarded. Further big challenges await.