'The lads know they can play better' - Connaughton

Gary Connaughton felt the occasion might have got to the Tubberclair players in the first half of last weekend's drawn Westmeath intermediate football final against Shandonagh.

A youthful Tubberclair outfit fought back from being nine points down at one stage (1-9 to 0-3) of the opening half, and eventually secured a draw on a scoreline of 0-14 to 1-11.

Former Tubberclair and Westmeath goalkeeper Connaughton is a selector/coach in Martin McCabe's management team. "I think the occasion might have got to us in the first half. There were nerves there. We let their wing-backs run up the pitch and we didn't defend (as well as we should). I knew there was energy in the tank and they rose to the occasion in the second half," said Connaughton.

"They really wanted it and it showed out there. We could have snuck it at the end, but then again we could have lost by a point. That's the way football goes. Sport can be unpredictable and that's why we love the game and that's why we're involved."

When trying to rouse themselves in the dressing room at half-time, Connaughton said the Tubberclair camp took encouragement from the way Garrycastle battled back to win the 2019 senior football final against St Loman's, Mullingar.

"We knew there was more in the tank. It was a poor first half by us. We knew we had to step it up and, in fairness to the lads, they worked hard and they hassled and harried. Luckily, we got a draw out of it, we would have taken a draw at half-time."

Connaughton praised Tubberclair midfielder Eoghan McCabe for the way he handled the pressure of kicking the last-gasp free which set up the replay.

"Eoghan McCabe is a very talented footballer. He works hard at his game and there is a great football tradition in his family. I knew well he'd nail that free at the end," said Connaughton. "I've seen him hit those frees night after night at training. One or two (frees) might not have gone his way earlier on, but he took that score very well and we live to fight another day."

An All-Star goalkeeper with Westmeath in 2008, Connaughton knows a fair bit about the slings and arrows of being the last line of defence. And he had words of encouragement for current Tubberclair netminder Kevin Fagan, who conceded a soft goal during the first half of last Saturday's final.

Connaughton felt Fagan was "unlucky" with the goal. "Kevin had a great game after that and he worked his kickouts well. He's big enough and bold enough to take it on the chin and move on and he will. He works hard on his game. I've seen him come up from underage, and he's a good, talented keeper."

Indeed, Fagan has had an excellent season for Tubberclair and he hadn't conceded a single goal during the championship until the final.

Asked about the high number of wides Tubberclair kicked in the drawn final, a total of 14, Connaughton said: "I don't know if it was down to nerves; they kicked them over in the semi-final against the 'Bridge (St Mary's, Rochfortbridge). We kicked a good few wides alright and normally we'd be putting them over. That's something we have to learn from. The lads know themselves that they can play better and hopefully they can rise to the occasion in the replay."

The Westmeath IFC final replay between Tubberclair and Shandonagh will played at TEG Cusack Park tomorrow (Sunday), throw-in 3pm, and it will be preceded by the Junior 2 football final between Moate All Whites and Coralstown/Kinnegad (1pm).

Tickets cane be purchased via the following link - https://www.universe.com/users/westmeath-gaa-KDL8BC