D-day finally arrives for Davitts

D-day arrives for Davitts

Pete Warren wants his players to focus on the game, not the occasion

David Jennings

DAVITTS boss Pete Warren believes the biggest task facing his players in next Sunday’s All-Ireland Intermediate club championship final is to avoid being paralysed by the occasion.

According to Warren, the Croke Park experience can have a negative effect of players and he doesn’t want his side to fall into that mindset when they set off on their maiden voyage at GAA headquarters against Milltown/Castlemaine from Kerry.

“It’s an awesome stadium and I’ve seen it affect plenty of players in the past,” Warren told The Mayo News.

“The pitch is surrounded by stands and that’s something that our lads aren’t used to. Most of them have never stepped foot on the pitch and I’m worried that the game might pass them by.

“It’s so easy to get overawed by the occasion and that’s something I am concentrating on in the lead-up to the game.

“The plan is to get there early which will allow the lads to take everything in. We’ll have a walk around the stadium and watch the first half of the Clonbur match. Then hopefully we will be allowed to walk onto the pitch at half-time. Nerves are only natural but how you cope with them is the main thing.”

Davitts completed their preparations for Sunday’s showdown with a trial match among themselves last Sunday morning, and the manager was delighted with the intensity of that tussle.

“We always have a match between ourselves the week before a big game as I always find it as good, if not better, than any challenge match. We had 15 against 15 and we had 32 lads there in total. It was played at a fast pace and everybody seemed to be moving well.”

Tommy Nolan, who had an operation on a disc in his back, is the only absentee from the Davitts panel but there is a late scare concerning Aidan McTigue who fell ill over the weekend.

“Aidan picked up a virus and was in hospital for two days but he got out on Monday morning and he should be fine midway through the week to come back training. I’d imagine he will be fine to play,” explained Warren.

Although Davitts have been on the go for 13 months now, the former Tuam Stars boss isn’t worried about fatigue and was keen to emphasise how focused the players have been.

“We’re training since January 18 last year and it has been a long year. But this is a huge, huge game for the club and they are very focused. It’s easy to get motivated once you are in an All-Ireland final and the lads couldn’t be in better shape.”