'We have a lot of work to do to get over the line'

“It’s not just a matter of rocking up to Ballinlough at 7.30pm, doing an hour and back home again,” says Ballinlough manager Andy McGovern.

He is sitting in the pavilion in Dunganny during the media event ahead of the county finals and talking about his team and how they are preparing for the JFC showdown against Curraha under the lights at Simonstown on Friday night.

He’s talking about the realities of managing a football team these days. How much there is involved. “You have to wear a couple of hats the whole time,” the former coach of teams in both Meath and his native Cavan explains when asked to elaborate further on the issue.

“There’s the phone calls, meetings. As a coach you put down your cones, plan a session but with the manager’s job there’s a lot more organising,” he quickly adds.

Not that he doesn’t enjoy it all, relish the challenge. He clearly does, his task made a lot easier, he outlines, by the quality of people who make up the Ballinlough crew.

“The players, they are a great group of lads to work with, which is more than half the battle. I have good help also from (selectors) Kevin Devine, Ken Rothwell, Gary Corcoran and Hugh McDonnell.”

Then there is, he points out, Seanie Geraghty the Meath hurler and one of Ballinlough’s marquee footballers who is also in charge of the strength and conditioning. Others too have played their parts in the whole adventure such as club secretary Susan Farrell.

McGovern has spent years coaching with his own club, Killygarry in his native Cavan as well as Shercock. He has also spent the last few years in that role with Ballinlough but this is his first gig in the management roadshow and he hasn’t done too badly either, guiding the undefeated north Meath side to a final showdown with Curraha. In that process the team also ended a dispiriting sequence that included four semi-final defeats in the last five years.

He gives the impression of someone who prepares thoroughly for matches, leaving as little as possible to chance. It’s clear too he has studied Curraha very carefully.

He appreciates fully, as many observers of the local GAA scene also appreciate, that the ‘Ha are a very formidable force indeed. Yet you also suspect he has spotted, in the course of observing them live and in the video analysis, one or two little weaknesses that his troops might, just might, be able to exploit.

Not that he is going to outline ahead of the final what those weaknesses are. Why should he? He knows that every little edge, every little fine margin, in a game like this is crucial.

Manager’s like to big up opponents – and play down their own team’s chances - but in this instance, there is the sense McGovern is merely describing what he sees in a Curraha team that will rightly go into the final as firm favourites.

“I’ve seen Curraha a few times this year and you’d walk away very impressed after watching them, they have some power and physique and pace. They are hot favourites for a reason, we have a lot of work to do to get over the line. We’ll aim to prepare the best we can for the day. We’ll also have to hope Curraha don’t bring their A game with them.”

Employed in the health and safety sector, McGovern has had to grapple with the fact that many of Ballinlough’s players have to balance their football careers with turning out for championship-chasing Kilskyre/Moylagh in hurling. That reality too has been a learning curve.

“It’s all about communication and with Tom Gilsenan (manager of Kilskyre/Moylagh) there is great communication, that’s what it’s all about,” he quickly adds. “It means a lot that the two parties can talk, agree or disagree or what not, but communication is vital. I’ve got 15 players on the football panel who also play hurling, half really.”

Part of the Ballinlough plan at the start of the campaign was to win their group games, secure a semi-final spot and give themselves some breathing space before pushing on to the semi-finals where they defeated St Vincent’s.

So far things have gone to plan and now they face a Curraha outfit who are firm favourites. With manager McGovern in charge, you suspect everything will be done in the days leading up to the final to ensure the ‘Lough can now complete the deal.

New to this management lark he might be, but he also knows that anything can happen. That the underdog can have their day too.