Young blood making for a potent mix
Editorial Department • Published 19 Jan 2012 13:00
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When the call came, Enda Kilpatrick had no hesitation in accepting the offer.
The opportunity to work with an inter-county team, to bring something to the mix, and of course the chance to work along with Peter Canavan was too big for the Pomeroy Plunketts man to turn down.
"When Peter asked me, to tell you the truth, I jumped at it. I knew I would have something to offer along with Peter. I have played with him, came up against him in various schools matches, trying to match my wits against his on the sideline where invariably he came out on top, and I jumped at the opportunity. I also knew KD (Kieran Donnelly), I knew he was a good trainer and the team would be prepared well. And I knew that the set up would be good, which it is, and the players are responding to that set up," commented Kilpatrick.
As a player, Canavan is widely regarded as one of the best ever, and Kilpatrick believes that having now moved into the inter-county managerial scene, he commands the respect of players.
"Peter has that character, that name; he has done it all and he commands respect. When he talks they all listen, they eyeball him and you can see that they are taking it in."
Fermanagh may have started later than the majority of county squads up and down the country with Canavan only appointed six weeks ago but Kilpatrick says that there has been a terrific response from the players.
"We are playing catch up but we certainly have a good panel of players and not alone that but they have been asked to do a lot and they have done it."
He added: "They are working hard and are a great bunch of fellas. There is good banter with them and sometimes you can tell how good a team are, or how good they can be, by the noise and how they mix and I must say that has been brilliant. It's very enjoyable."
Kilpatrick admits that after Fermanagh's first run out of the season, a defeat to Monaghan in Clones in a challenge game, he was "a wee bit apprehensive". However, having watched the DVD of the game his mood changed.
"We actually wasted a lot of ball when we got over the halfway line ourselves. It wasn't through Monaghan's good play, it was through our poor play, and maybe just a lack of playing together. It's understandable for your first game for that to happen."
It was a much improved performance, however, against Antrim as the players learned from their mistakes.
"Against Antrim I was not surprised when we did play better and did make better use of the ball because we hammered that home all week about the use of the ball and not giving it away. And the players acted on that and definitely improved," he stated.
The win over Antrim was followed up by victory over Queen's giving Fermanagh a bright start to Canavan's reign but Kilpatrick is not getting carried away with results in the McKenna Cup.
"It has been a good start but we need to keep our feet on the ground, its early days, we've won two McKenna Cup matches but there are much bigger tests down the line."
The early games have witnessed some fine performances from the players which are likely to leave the management with a difficult task when they sit down to select a squad for the National League.
"You also have the college boys to come back in, those boys are playing well. They are playing at a good level, they are very, very fit and it is going to be a headache, " explained Kilpatrick. "But it's a brilliant headache to have because it's something you want, all players pushing for places and there will be some disappointed players. The message would be though that the door isn't closed, we have to name a panel with a certain number of players, and we'll be doing that for the good of Fermanagh football and trying to pick the best balanced squad we can."
One player who has certainly caught the eye this month has been Roslea's full forward Seamus Quigley. Kilpatrick first came across Quigley in an U16 schools game when St. Eugene's Roslea took on Dean Maguirc College, Carrickmore where Kilpatrick teaches, and he has been impressed with his effort at training.
"He is a character and he has an awful lot to offer. His skill level is second to none, his ability to kick a point is second to none and he has been working hard in training. He hasn't missed a training session, in fact after most training sessions it is a fighting match with him to come in. I knew about him already, I actually came across him in an U16 Schools match when Dean Maguirc College Carrickmore beat a Roslea team he was part of."
And Enda reveals that Quigley is not getting an easy ride from the defenders at training.
"He is getting fierce attention in training because he might give a wee bit of stick here and there and tell boys what he is going to do but the thing is he can back it up, and he does," he said.
Quigley has shown that he has the ability to score heavily but that is not to say that he can't improve.
"I think he can. He scored 1-08 on Sunday but he still made mistakes. He still did things were if he had the ball again in the same situation he might change and that's what we want, players to go out and try and if they make mistakes we'll point it out to them. In a lot of cases they know themselves and they will try and do better the next time. That's the ethos we're trying to get across and we're getting there."
A lot of the talk this year has centred around the players who left the squad making their return but the former Tyrone captain has also been delighted with the newcomers to inter-county football and he feels that they are going to be pushing hard for a place.
"It's important that you do inject new blood every year. Some teams have made mistakes in the past where they don't let the younger players break in and then when the older players do drop out their replacements aren't readily there. The new boys have done brilliantly and their confidence levels are continuing to increase. It is important that the other players see that it is not just about the two divides last year; it's not just about the boys who left and the boys who stayed. There is another group of players that have come into the equation and they are very much pushing for places and it is our job to marry them all together."
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 19 Jan 12
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