IFC Final Preview: ‘You play championship football to win the championship’

During the IFC semi-final between Duleek/Bellewstown and St Patrick's the other week things weren't going too well for Joe Sheridan's team.

St Patrick's led 1-6 to 0-8 and were looking like they might build up the kind of momentum that would be difficult to stop. Something had to be done.

"We just weren't working hard enough, we started well but took our eye off the ball, dropped our workrate, it's as simple as that," the Duleek/Bellewstown manager recalled as he spoke to reporters during the media night that was held at Pairc Tailteann ahead of the IFC decider with Rathkenny.

"We were standing off, we weren't getting enough tackles in, we allowed them to bring the pressure on to us and that's why they were ahead at half-time, that's the way it goes sometimes," he said.

Evaluating and assessing how a game is going, making tweaks and changes as they are needed, is partly what managing a football team is about and certainly in the second-half of that semi-final, Duleek/Bellewstown were a much better outfit.

Gone was the hesitancy, the tentativeness. Instead what we witnessed was a much more assertive group of players. The new approach reaped a bountiful harvest as Big Joe's men took control and ran out comfortable winners, 1-17 to 1-9.

"We had a good chat (at half-time), we knew that if we could increase our intensity levels we should be able to see the game out and we did that in the second-half."

There is a real sense that Sheridan and his Duleek/Bellewstown players are driven this year by a strong, irrepressible desire to put things right as they see it. Last year Duleek/Bellewstown lost to Dunshaughlin in the IFC final. Not only that they felt they never really got going - and the 0-7 to 0-17 defeat suggests as much.

One of the most powerful motivations in sport is a desire to make amends for a previous, painful defeats and for Duleek/Bellewstown there was a real 'ouch' factor in that below-par display against Dunshaughlin.

Sheridan believes in setting targets - and winning the McDonnell Cup is right up there on his and his players' list. It's about setting standards, reaching for the stars in order to touch the sky.

"You play championship football to win the championship and that's the expectation we have. We are still there, we have one game to go and we'll see how we get on."

Sheridan is widely known, of course, as a footballer with Seneschalstown and Meath with his famous, controversial goal against Louth in 2010 earning him a unique place in the folklore of the GAA.

Among the honours bagged from his playing days are two Keegan Cup medals won in the colours of Sensechalstown when his dad, Damien, was manager. When Joe hung up his boots he pursued his strong interest in coaching and managing. He was manager of the Seneschalstown Ladies for a few years and was involved with the Meath minor and u-20 set ups. Then Duleek/Bellewstown came calling.

Now Damien is one of Joe's selectors, dispensing advice gained from a lifetime in the game. The other selectors listed are David Crosby, Colin Crosby and Ivan Courtney.

The management team and the players have got things right so far if results are anything to go by; Duleek/Bellewstown are unbeaten in this year's championship.

That's just one factor that makes them, in many people's opinion, favourites to take home the Mattie McDonnell Cup. Naturally Sheridan wants to play all that down pointing to how Rathkenny are "very strong in a lot of places." He says they "drive forward, they back themselves, they are very positive going forward".

He points to players such as Sean and James O'Hare, Donal Keogan, Brian Meade, Max McKenna to highlight the talent in their pack. He says making Rathkenny underdogs would be way off. "This is going to be a tight battle," he warns.

Big Joe agrees with the suggestion his own squad is filled with talented young players who have emerged from the under-age system. It's one of the chief reasons why Duleek/Bellewstown are knocking at the door to get back into the senior ranks; the Golden Circle.

"There's a lot of good work going on in the underage section at Duleek/Bellewstown and that's obviously showing in the way players are coming through to the first team," he adds.

Having played in senior county finals Sheridan is not trying to play down the significance of this year's IFC showdown. He feels you just have to go with the flow.

"Finals are different, there's a different build up, an atmosphere around the whole parish, you have to enjoy that as well, take it on board. There's not point pretending it's not there. It's about being focused and taking the day as it is."

If changes are needed during the IFC final Big Joe will be there looking at ways to help his team claim the big prize.