IAFC: Mark Hopkins hails Glanmire's ability to win close games

Glanmire’s last three games in this year’s championship were all wins by a single point.

Going into their final group game, against opponents Boherbue, a 0-10 to 0-9 win saw them leapfrog the Duhallow side to the top the section and take a semi-final spot. Then, in the last four, they edged Gabriel Rangers by 1-9 to 0-11 before coming out on top against Boherbue again on Saturday.

Manager Mark Hopkins cited the first clash against them as being pivotal.

“That was a monumental victory for us,” he said.

We spoke a lot about winning important games and we knew that, no matter what we did in the first two games, it was going to come down to the Boherbue game.

“To get over that, in the manner that we did, with a one-point win, was huge, especially against a seasoned team like Boherbue, who had been far deep into the championship.

“We just knew that that was going to be the turning point in the season, but then for the lads to go to Clonakilty and back it up against a West Cork team, Gabriel Rangers, in West Cork, by a point again.

“It just built the belief that we had and let them believe in themselves, really. We were doing our best to instil belief in them, right throughout the season and they were the two games that turned it.

OVERDUE

“There’s no question we got a bit of luck but I think, given how much we fought back into the game and tried to keep ticking the score over, it’s great to get over the line after 37 years.”

The second-half goals from Conor Crowley and Shane O’Driscoll were of course vital in swinging the game their way. Hopkins was delighted with how his players showed the temperament needed to come up with the big plays.

“It was brilliant,” he said, “and Colm O’Neill has to take an awful lot of credit for that.

“We’ve been working on that style of goal, coming in along the endline and handpassing it across the square and Conor Crowley has been incredible at that all year.

“Then Shane O’Driscoll’s, it’s one that you dream of, I do remember that I got one like that back in the day myself, the county final in 2005!

I said it to the lads before the game – when we played here in 2005, I didn’t think that it’d be the last time I played in Páirc Uí Chaoimh and it was – I did my cruciate and didn’t realise it, so I wasn’t there in 2006.

“You always think you’re going to get another chance but it didn’t happen for me. I just said to them, ‘Don’t have the same regrets that I had, don’t make the same mistakes I did and make sure you give it everything.’

“And, look, they did, they gave everything, the manner of the victory was unbelievable. There absolutely was luck involved but you ride your luck and you keep plugging away. They deserve great credit.”

CAPABLE

The Premier Intermediate grade awaits and Hopkins is keen for Glanmire to continue trending upwards.

“This club is growing,” he said.
“With the population we have and the player-group that we have and the under-age – the minor team, U16, U14, they’re all flying – so we need to be competing at a higher level.

“I don’t mean that disrespectfully, but for the promotion of football. We needed to be competitive and we have been, thankfully.

“I’m delighted to get over the line and the backroom team have been incredible to me. Everybody has rowed in and done what we’ve asked of them. We did our best to leave no stone unturned.

“Some days, it just goes for you.”