‘You have to enjoy the buzz around the place’
St Vincent’s were shrewdly being tipped in the early stages of the JFC to go well in this year's championship and as they have progressed through the rounds, you can see why.
They had a fantastic group campaign and they beat a fancied Clann na nGael side in the semi-final.
Manager, Paul McManus and captain Davy Tallon sat down with the Meath Chronicle to chat about the upcoming final. McManus started by explaining that while he is happy that they have reached a final, it hasn’t all been plain sailing this year.
“We are happy to be in a final but there have been some ups and downs throughout the year. We threw away a Tailteann Cup against Slane at the start of the year. We lost to Dunsany in the league by double digits. They were excellent that day," recalled McManus.
"It hasn’t been the perfect season for us and there are still areas for us to improve upon. As far as I am concerned it is us that has had to make up the ground on Dunsany and only time will tell on whether we have done enough or not.
"From a managerial perspective we have done well. You have to have your wits about you and make the right calls at the right time and I think we have done okay in that regard so far.”
St Vincent’s had a fantastic win over a very solid Clann na nGael side in the semi-final. McManus was delighted with his side's second-half performance and he was keen to sing the praises of one player in particular.
“The first half against Clann na nGael was far from perfect and our second half was a huge improvement. Clann na nGael are a very solid team. The O Donnchadha’s are excellent and Ben Corkery is a really exciting prospect for the future," he suggested.
"Some of our lads put in excellent performances. Nigel (Hand) was brilliant, it was coming with him. He is super dedicated and he puts in huge work. I was very happy for him to get that sort of a performance.”
St Vincent’s opponents this weekend are well used to this occasion. Dunsany have been in plenty of junior finals over the last decade but have never managed to win one. McManus is aware that Dunsany are a strong side and that it will be a huge challenge for his side.
“There is an awful lot made of Dunsany and losing finals, but they get to finals for a reason. They have Kevin Cahill over them who knows a few things about football," said the St Vincent's boss.
"Mark Brennan also knows everything there is to know about Dunsany and Conor (Brennan) is an excellent coach. They are humming and it is no accident that they are in a final again.
"Dunsany are going to turn up and will want to right the wrongs of the past and of course, they are going to bring a lot of energy," concluded McManus.
St Vincent’s captain Davy Tallon had a very positive outlook on the campaign so far and is delighted to be back in another junior final.
“We had a great league campaign and we were hoping to carry that form into the championship," said Tallon.
"We have definitely improved on the front end of things, we are scoring a lot more this year. It's been a great year and we are back where we want to be.”
Tallon has some experience of these big occasions and was part of the side that won the club's second junior title in 2021. He is keen for everyone on the panel to enjoy the experience, but also says that there won’t be any deviations from their normal preparation.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have been in a few finals in my career. You have to just keep it simple and don’t do anything, preparation-wise, that you wouldn’t normally do," said the St Vincent's captain.
"The young lads have to enjoy the experience. We’re a small community and you have to enjoy the buzz around the place in the lead-up.
"Of course, lads are going to be nervous, but that’s probably a good thing. We will be training like normal and we don’t have to do anything different”
When asked about McManus’ management style, Tallon explained how he was influential in bringing McManus into the club before singing the Drumconrath man’s praises.
“I said to Shaggy (Paul McManus) in the pub the other night that only for me he wouldn’t be here. He was one of the selectors in the regional championship so I knew him from there and when the opportunity came to get him I was backing him," said Tallon.
"He is the type of manager that not only buys into ourselves, but he buys into the whole community. The whole management team have been excellent and everything is just clicking nicely,” concluding Tallon who is hoping it will all click together next Sunday.