McCabe pleased with players' response as Healy joins backroom team
With Mother Nature throwing up plenty of challenges in early January, Westmeath football manager Dermot McCabe was happy to just get a challenge match played against Clare last Sunday.
“It’s good to get back on the field. We’ve had a lot of difficulty this week with frozen pitches and we’ve had a game or two pulled on us. The first ten days of January have been difficult with the weather we’ve had. I think both teams were delighted to get on the field and playing a bit of a game,” said McCabe, following last Sunday’s 3-16 to 1-17 win over Clare in Castledaly.
Caulry’s Conor McCormack, a player renowned as a forward, was selected as Westmeath goalkeeper against Clare.
“We’ve worked on one or two things that I’d be very happy with such as our own kickout. Some things showed up well in the first 40 minutes today. We didn’t concede off our own kickout in the first half,” said McCabe, pointing out that it will be harder for teams to retain possession from their own kickouts under the “new regime”.
McCabe admitted that it is a major challenge to replace the quality and experience of retired players John Heslin, Kevin Maguire and James Dolan, in addition to other absentees.
“That’s going to be a challenge and we have to put in younger and inexperienced lads,” he said. “The lads who are here have bought into things well. From the panel of 34 players I was supplied with, I think we’re in double digits as regards the numbers missing. It is what it is. We could cry about that but I’m hopeful that these younger lads and lads with less experience will learn on their feet.
“We try in training to create game scenarios so that it’s not a complete shock to them in games, and also we’re in a higher division (of the league) this year. It’s not going to be easy but we have to challenge each other to try and improve.”
Damien Healy, one of Westmeath’s heroes from the 2004 Leinster championship success, has joined the management team and McCabe is glad to have the former St Mary’s player on board.
“If you were to cut Damien, there would be Westmeath blood in him! It’s great to have his heart and passion in the dressing room,” said McCabe.
One of the stars of Cavan’s Ulster championship triumph in 1997, when the Breffni men were managed by Donegal’s Martin McHugh, McCabe now finds himself working with Westmeath alongside Martin’s son Mark.
“I would have kept in contact with the family over the years. The idea of getting Mark involved is that he’s not long retired himself. He knows the vibe of that age group and what the players expect. He has been able to give great insights and the speed and intensity that he brings to our training sessions is massive,” said McCabe.
“Diarmuid (Scullion) who has been involved with Derry at underage level and with Scotstown, is bringing a more strategic approach and the lads have found him excellent to date.”
McCabe revealed that a successor to Kevin Maguire as team captain has yet to be selected, with a captain likely to be chosen when the panel for the league is finalised.
Westmeath’s first Allianz Football League Division 2 fixture is at home to Louth on Sunday week.
McCabe expects a very tough assignment from Louth and he feels the “big, physical men” in their ranks will be suited to the kickout rules now in place.
“We have nothing to analyse Louth on (under the new rules). We’ll be learning on our feet as the game goes on, but the lads will be looking forward to the challenge.”
As to the prospect of facing his native Cavan later in the league campaign, McCabe gave a philosophical response. “That type of thing has happened lots of times before and I’m sure it will happen lots of time in the future,” he said with a smile.
*See report on the Westmeath v Clare challenge match here