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Former St Colman’s student and teacher celebrated county final success with Newbridge outfit
There was a touch of Mayo pride amid the celebrations in Newbridge on Sunday afternoon as Claremorris native Vinnie Walsh guided Sarsfields to their 26th Kildare Senior Football Championship title. The former St Colman's student and teacher was at the helm as the Newbridge outfit overcame Maynooth on a scoreline of 1-14 to 1-10, adding another chapter to the remarkable history of one of Kildare's most successful football clubs.
Speaking immediately after the final whistle, Walsh was understandably delighted with the achievement and, in particular, the efforts of his players. “I'm absolutely delighted, absolutely delighted for all the lads and the club. It's just some feeling, isn't it, winning county titles,” he said.
The Sarsfields manager felt the intensity of the contest reflected the quality of the two sides who had made it through to the county decider. “I think the two informed teams, and probably the two fittest teams, were in the county final. Because of that, there was no space out there. Everyone was just tracking everyone down, which meant it was a bit of a scrappy game,” he explained. “There were a lot of turnovers and wides, but that was due to the intensity of the tackling and the tracking. It took a long time for the game to settle.”
The teams were level at half-time, but Walsh and his management team were confident that a few adjustments could help Sarsfields gain the upper hand in the second period. Having been building towards this moment for three years, the Newbridge side had developed the experience and composure to deal with the pressure of championship football.
“We have a calm dressing room. We've been going for three years now, and we've had our losses in semi-finals and been in a few league finals as well. We know to talk and see what's been and what has to be fixed rather than getting all excited,” Walsh said.
The message at the interval was straightforward: get closer to goal before shooting and introduce more control into their attacking play. “What needed to be fixed was that we needed to get closer to goal before we took our shots, which we did in the second half. We needed to mix up the strike running with a bit more controlled play just to stop the unforced errors. There were too many of them in the first half. We tidied that up, and I thought that gave us the bit of control we needed and got us the lead.”
Sarsfields' crucial goal arrived at a particularly important stage, providing the breathing space Walsh had been looking for. “We just needed to get five ahead, just to get that little bit of a buffer zone. We got the goal, and it gave us that little bit of a buffer to keep us ahead. It was very important,” he reflected.
Walsh was also full of praise for the experienced players who stood up when the pressure was greatest, singling out wing forwards Callum and Shea Ryan, centre-back Con Cavanagh and midfielder Matty Byrne.
He also acknowledged the contribution of substitute Ben McCormack, who came off the bench to register two valuable points. “You need everybody, but to have senior players like that able to do their job is brilliant. Young lads can find county finals hard, but you saw all those senior lads stand up, one to a man. I'm delighted,” he said.
After the opposition goal Walsh was just hoping some would catch the kick out. “I was just going, 'Someone put your hands out and call a mark!' I think the smallest man on the pitch caught it. He's got some belief in himself and some heart to get stuck in wherever you're needed,” Walsh remarked.
The victory was also a special occasion for the Claremorris man given the connections with his former school community. Congratulating fellow Mayfield man Darragh Beirne, Walsh acknowledged the significance of the occasion for St Colman's. “It's a great day for Colman's. He's a Mayfield man, I'm a Mayfield man, so Darragh was some footballer. Long may it continue for the Mayo lads. And look, I'm just delighted to have my day as well. Absolutely delighted.”
For Walsh, the journey from Claremorris and the corridors of St Colman's to the managerial position at one of Kildare's most decorated football clubs has now delivered a memorable reward. For Sarsfields, it is their 26th senior county title and for their Mayo-born manager, it is another special day to savour and one that will undoubtedly be celebrated with pride back home.
https://www.mayonews.ie/sport/gaa/mayo-man-leads-sarsfields-to-kildare-county-title-success-9325078
