On Saturday afternoon at Páirc na hÉireann in Birmingham, Modeligo will encounter an obstacle that no Waterford side has faced before according to club treasurer John Fitzgerald. “As far as I know, we are the first Waterford club ever to play a championship match outside the country. I have no memory of any other team ever doing that.”
A unique set of circumstances requires plenty of planning. An early throw in time means that the team will be flying out to Birmingham the night before. “We are travelling by coach to Dublin and we are flying at six o’clock on Friday evening. We will get into Birmingham around seven and we are staying overnight in a hotel.”
The travel and the break from the regular pre-match rhythm worries him slightly. “It’s going to be a big one particularly when you are breaking routine, going into a new environment, travelling by coach, flying and staying in a hotel. Our concern is that may impact on the lads in terms of breaking their routine. In terms of how they are playing and preparations, they are doing fine.”
A thirteen point trouncing of Castlemartyr dragged them into the conversation for All Ireland honours. They didn’t sit back over the Christmas period. After the Munster final win sank in, it was back down to business as Fitzgerald explains. “The lads took two weeks after the Munster final and then started to ease themselves back into it. They did a couple of sessions and they will have three challenge matches under their belt as well.”
Manchester opponents Fullen Gaels have won five All Britain championships in a row and have been close to making an All Ireland breakthrough over recent seasons, troubling Thomastown and Creggan Kickhams. “They were over here playing a challenge match over the Christmas but to be honest we know very little about them. They reached the All Ireland final in 2013 and they ran Thomastown to three points so they are going to be a serious opposition.”
The green and white supporters took over Mallow last month and they will follow their side across the water on Saturday. “There is a lot of supporters going but the club has focussed on getting the squad and the backroom team in and out of the UK. Everyone else is looking after themselves. There is a lot of interest locally and there is a lot of people travelling.”
Founded in 1977, games hardly come any bigger for the tiny west Waterford club. “We are a fifty member club. The reality of how small the place is, there is only 87 children in the national school. It is a very small catchment area. We have just got a once in a lifetime group of lads together who are hurling together at the right time and they are all of a good age. It’s just happened for us and it may never happen again.”
A win of any description will make for a relaxed return journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment