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McConnell - possession is everything

Wednesday, 14 July 2010

HE can drive a ground kick as far as any player in the country. Eighty yards is no problem to Pascal McConnell, but the Tyrone goalkeeper has had to curtail what was once seen as one of the greatest strengths of his game.
The booming kick-outs have been replaced by a more subtle approach, carefully directed deliveries to strategically positioned colleagues, as close as 20 yards away.
Possession is everything, and even in their All-Ireland winning seasons, Tyrone were frequently wiped out in the battle for primary ball in midfield.
True, the Red Hands became masters in the less than elegant art of picking up dirty, broken possession, but other means had to be found to maximise returns.
The short kick-out is by no means an innovation in gaelic football, but it's a strategy that has found a more prominent place in the Tyrone game plan this season.
“Mickey (Harte) studied the Cork game (All-Ireland semi-final '09) and studied other teams who are very sophisticated.
“Looking at the kick-out situation over this past few years, it's been a tactic which a lot of counties are now employing," says McConnell.
“You're in possession, first and foremost, and it's key to keep that possession.
I think it's well publicised too that Tyrone have lost the midfield sector from kick-outs, but have been able to go an and be successful. But when you have that area to work on, you've got to work on it.
“Every day we go out we're learning to better our game, especially from a goalkeeping point of view.
“You need to be fit to adjust that, and keep possession. When you go 60 or 70 yards, it's 50-50 ball, so if you can keep clean possession, that's key. The way the game has evolved now, possession is key, and holding that ball is precious.
“It has been great to have that, it's a learner for me, instead of just hoofing the ball down t middle, which may have been acceptable 10 years ago, but not in today's game."
For the man entrusted with executing the play, though, there are risks. This is a disaster waiting to happen, and McConnell is aware that one false move, one misplaced kick, could have serious consequences.
“You have to be spot on. There's no hiding places out there in front of 30 or 40 thousand people if that thing goes wrong. You have got to be on the button and have the confidence to execute the pass.
“And if it goes wrong, well then you're slaughtered. You can't just dig a hole and jump in it, you've got to be man enough to accept it and get on with it and learn from that.
“But thankfully we have managed to cope with it so far, everybody is tuned in, if the option's there, why not take it."
Since 2003, McConnell and John Devine have competed for the number one shirt, with both enjoying spells as first choice. This year, however, McConnell appears to have nailed down the goalkeeping job on an extended basis.
“You like to get a run of games, and this year I have a couple of games under my belt now. In 2008, it maybe didn't go so well for myself. I went out against Down, and I was overlooked the next day, and rightly so. I didn't perform to the way I would have liked in the first round that day in Omagh.
“You've got to be on your toes, it's the same with the whole squad. If you're not performing, you'll find your shoulder, and may find yourself replaced.
“It's a testament to the competition that's in the squad, and it has always been there since 2003."
A couple of brilliant saves in the semi-final win over Down has helped him tighten his grip. "I'm happy enough with the way things are going, but you just can't rest on your laurels, thinking that those few
saves are going to be you for the rest of the season.
“We have two quality keepers also, John Devine and Jonathan Curran, so that has kept me on my toes.
“Whoever is in on any given day, there's total faith there in who is going to be in goals. We work so hard together, we do our separate sessions together as well.
“We're all aspiring to the number one jersey, okay there can only be one on any given day, but we have been fully supportive of each other over the years. It's great to have that, and it has made us the goalkeepers that we are today."
Crucial saves in big games have helped mould a career that has given him three All-Ireland medals. The match-winning stop that denied Declan O'Sullivan in the 2008 final against Kerry was one of the highlights, but McConnell recalls the tragic circumstances which saw him step into the starting line-up to replace John Devine, whose father passed away on the eve of the game.
“Through unfortunate circumstances, I found myself in in 2008. you had to go and play your part in some small way.
“These big days are the height of your football career, you train hard for those days and you want more of them."
It was days like those that taught the Newtownstewart man how to deal with pressure. There will be more of it this weekend, but he insists that's what players operating at this level thrive on.
“There's a lot of pressure in a first round game as well, you're still out there representing your county.
“I enjoy the big day. Every player, that's what we all train for, they all aspire to be playing on big days."
Sunday's game is a repeat of the 2007 Ulster final, which Tyrone won, but McConnell recognises that Monaghan have gained much more experience since then.
“You could only feel they have learned so much from '07, but not just the Ulster final in '07, their tussles with Kerry over the last few years in the All-Ireland series.
“I feel this Monaghan team has no fear about them, and it has not just come about this year because they are back in the Ulster final. It has grown over this past few years, and they are firing on all cylinders at the minute.
“They have kept their Division One status, we haven't. There's a lot of pundits would have tipped them to go down this year, and they didn't, they proved them wrong, and in no way were we surprised at that."
Another Tyrone victory will secure back-to-back provincial titles for the first time since 1996. on that occasion, McConnell was an excited schoolboy watching from the famous Hill at Clones as his older brother Finbar performed heroics in goal.
“I remember it very well, standing on the hill in Clones. It would be nice to do back to back. I was talking to the brother about it too, and he remembers fondly a lot of brave tussles along the way, with the likes, of Derry, Down, Cavan.
“Certainly it's an achievement in itself to do back to back. We haven't done it, this current crop of players haven't done it, so we would like to go that step further and capture a back to back title, but Monaghan are going to have a big say in that.
“There's been a lot of talk about Tyrone not doing back to back All-Irelands, but we haven't done back to back Ulsters in so long.
“It's something we would like to put right, and Ulster finals only come round once a year, and you've to make the most of them. It would be a key aim to defend it."
The battle for the goalkeeper's jersey in Tyrone has been somewhat less dramatic that the sensational happenings in Monaghan, where former full-back Darren Hughes has held on to the position since being preferred to substitute 'keeper Sean Gorman fdor the semi-final against Armagh.
McConnell expressed solidarity with Gorman, who left the squad in protest, but recognises that the episode illustrates the strength of conviction of manager McEnaney.
“It was like a bolt out of the blue. All I really know about it is what has been talked about in the media.
“Personally I feel it was wrong what happened, but Banty is a top manager, he's big enough to stand up and make those decisions, and big enough to take it on the chin if it goes wrong, and you know it's a feather in the cap if it goes well.
“As a goalkeeper, your heart goes out to Sean Gorman. The fellow was training hard, training to aspire to be the Monaghan 'keeper some day. Its unfortunate the way it worked out.
“But Monaghan haven't looked back since then, they have pushed on and gone from strength to strength.
“Darren Hughes came in (in goal) and has played really well, and I think that is testament to them, that everybody is willing to step in at any given time, in any place and do their job."

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