Personalise Your Experience

Ulster Bank
Ulster Bank
 
  • GAA Force

Peter Sweeney

Peter Sweeney's Blog

Peter Sweeney is the Gaelic Games Correspondent with the Irish Daily Star Newspaper. He is a regular on television and radio and even though he isn't any good he still tries to play Gaelic football.

  • 6 Sep 2011

    Dublin V Kerry, A Battle of the Managers?

    AS Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling final proved, big games can be won on the sideline as well as on the pitch. read more

    AS Sunday’s All-Ireland hurling final proved, big games can be won on the sideline as well as on the pitch.

    Kilkenny out-fought Tipperary inside the white lines, but Brian Cody comprehensively out-thought his opposite number Declan Ryan in the dugout.

    He set up his team correctly from the start, got his match-ups in defence just right, made the proper switches and had his players prepared to perfection.

    With this in mind, there promises to be a fascinating sideline battle of wits in Sunday week’s All-Ireland football final between Dublin and Kerry.

    The Kingdom’s Jack O’Connor has repeatedly proven himself to be one of the smartest managers in the business and he has gotten the better of pretty much every one of his contemporaries – bar Tyrone’s Mickey Harte, of course.

    His match-winning, season-defining moves have included converting Kieran Donaghy to a full-forward, shifting Declan O’Sullivan to the edge of the square in times of emergency and persuading Mike McCarthy to return from retirement.

    This year he has lured Eoin Brosnan back from self-imposed exile while he has reignited Bryan Sheehan’s career by playing him at midfield this season.

    Dublin boss Pat Gilroy has yet to win an All-Ireland as a manager, O’Connor has three, and he has learned some harsh lessons on the line.

    O’Connor was the first one to expose him in 2009 when the Kingdom beat the Dubs by a joint-record 17-points at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage.

    Gilroy is an intelligent man and after that game he went away, decided what was wrong and set about rectifying it.

    Last year he came back with a whole new system, based on massed defence and quick counter attacks. It got them as far as the semi-finals and here, against Cork, it was late indiscipline that let them down.

    Since then the Boys in Blue have worked tirelessly on their tackling and cutting down on the number of scoreable frees they concede.

    Gilroy is regularly in touch with Croke Park looking for feedback, enquiring why referees made certain decisions.

    This all shows a keen mind and each of his three campaigns in charge have seen steady progress. 2011 has already seen another step forward – Dublin’s first All-Ireland final appearance in 16 years – but he won’t want to stop here.

    O’Connor is the master, having seen and done it all already. Gilroy remains the pupil, but he has learned fast.

    Their duel as much as anything that happens on the field will decide the destination of the Sam Magiure on September 18.

Home Away Date Time Venue
London Leitrim 03.06.2012 3:00 Ruislip
Longford Wexford 03.06.2012 2:00 Croke Park
Louth Dublin 03.06.2012 4:00 Croke Park
Clare Limerick 09.06.2012 7:00 Cusack Park, Ennis or Gaelic Grounds, Limerick

View more

Home Score Away Score Date Venue
Roscommon 0-10 Galway 3-15 20.05 Hyde Park
Cavan 1-10 Donegal 1-16 20.05 Kingspan Breffni Park
Limerick 2-12 Waterford 0-7 20.05 Gaelic Grounds, Limerick
Westmeath 0-14 Louth 2-9 20.05 Navan

View more

Blog Archive