Ballinhassig and Cork hurling legend Martain Coleman hopes Patrick Collins can follow in his footsteps

Cork goalkeeper Patrick Collins will hope to join another Ballinhassig man, Martin Coleman, in securing a Celtic Cross on Sunday next.

Coleman, who not only secured four All-Ireland senior medals in a 10-year period, was also part of the selection committee in 1990. Despite the 46 years that have passed since he went up the winner’s steps at Croke Park, Coleman says he still gets goosebumps on All-Ireland final day.

“When you get that knock on the door at 2.50pm, match on at 3.30pm, and there’s nowhere to hide, it’s fairly daunting, you run out and the place will shake,” said Martin.

In dealing with the prospect of what awaits, Coleman emphasises the importance of rehearsal, something no doubt Collins and his colleagues continue to do today.

It is what many sport psychologists try to ingrain in players before they step in the reality of the occasion.

“The frightening thing is the national anthem, facing the tri-colour on top of the Cusack Stand and you turn around to a wall of noise and if you didn’t rehearse that a million times in your mind, you wouldn’t make the snap,” said Martin.

Unlike the specialised goalkeeper trainers for today’s net minders, Coleman’s training was less formal but practice his skills he did none the less.

“I’d say to Charlie McCarthy we’d come a bit early, and he’d say that is a good idea, we’d come in at 6pm when training was at 7pm, and Charlie, Sean O’Leary, Ray Cummins and Mick Malone would be belting balls at me for a half an hour,” he said.

Unlike the puck-out strategy of today, which Collins has often been scrutinised for; in the '70s, it had a more regular pattern of always landing somewhere on the opponents' 45.

If there’s one key element that the goalkeeper’s union continue to agree on it’s the need for concentration.

You’d be nervous but you’d be razor sharp, you’d still have nerves for the whole 70 minutes but you would be so focused on the game and if you lost that for a split second the ball could be gone through your legs."

Reflecting on Collins recent performance in Croke Park, Martin said: “The save to Gillane was instinct, bravery, you’d put that in five or six categories, there’s no coach going to tell you how to do that.” 

In Coleman’s opinion, who has described Clare as a greater threat than Limerick, he said: “Patrick badly needed the game last Sunday week, as it will give him confidence now.” 

In dealing with the hype that comes with All-Ireland finals, especially with online chat, Coleman recalls advice Christy Ring gave to his charges as a selector from 1976 to 1978. 

There is only one paper you read when you are an inter-county player, that’s the Monday morning after an All-Ireland final, and possibly not at all if you lose.