Brigid’s boss hopeful on injuries as Mohill await
St Brigid’s may have just won another game in a typically efficient and clinical manner, but the first question on everyone’s lips in the aftermath of the Kiltoom club’s 0-13 to 1-3 victory over Coolera-Strandhill was the injury concerns over Brian Stack and Ruaidhrí Fallon, both of whom were withdrawn in the second half.
Fallon’s participation in the warm down, allied to his ability to walk off the pitch under his own steam, suggested that his ankle injury was the less serious of the two, but Stack was clearly and visibly in a lot of pain as he landed on the ground after punching a high ball clear of Niall Murphy in the 44th minute, and the prognosis for his knee could be very different.
“We have concerns about the injuries, we don’t know exactly what is entailed in those so we’d be hoping for a small bit of luck on that,” was all Jerome Stack could say after the game.
“Brian and Ruaidhrí are integral to an awful lot of what we are doing. It could be a case of a bit of work and maybe a bit of holy water. They are two fellas that lead by example in every aspect for Roscommon and Brigid’s and, with the help of God, they’ll get a bit of luck.”
Outside of the injuries, Stack was quite happy with how things went for his side, and he singled out tackling as a particularly pleasing aspect, with six dispossessions of Coolera-Strandhill players alone in the first half.
“I have been saying this all year that St Brigid’s might be known for a lot of things, for playing a lot of positive football, and that’s fantastic and the way it should be. But the cornerstone of a lot of what we have done is fellas are working very, very hard for the team, whether we have the ball or we don’t. They tackle, they chase, they track runners, and that is part of the modern game.
“Every player in the team is doing it, and it is a team game now, a collective effort that only works if every man is doing his bit. If you have one player taking it easy, it gives the opposition an easy out and means that everything that the honest lads have done is a waste.”
Unsurprisingly, Ben O’Carroll also came up in conversation, after yet another attacking masterclass from the Roscommon star. “Ben is a special talent and any county would be delighted to have him,” was Stack’s reply.
“He’s a really good team player as well, he is selfless in regard to making runs, all the energy-sapping stuff that’s so important. We'll all talk at the end of the game about what he has done in terms of the score sheet but there’s a huge amount outside of that. He's a marvellous player and has an X-factor about himself too, so it’s great to see those lads express themselves.”
With the manner of the win, and the poor track record of Leitrim clubs in the Connacht club championship, St Brigid’s will now carry huge expectations into Sunday’s game against Mohill (Hyde Park, 1.30pm), even allowing for their injury concerns.
The St Brigid’s manager made it clear, however, that he’s not one to worry about what’s expected, or what’s likely.
“We’ll start thinking about them tonight and I’m sure the players will as well. This group of players take their football very seriously and they’ll blend in the work that needs to be done. It’s nearly a partnership between management and players, more so than about leading and following.
“Hopefully we’ll have everyone available, but if not, we’ll prepare as best we can and hopefully that’ll be enough,” he added.