WHILE GER BRENNAN’S St Vincent’s side will obviously miss Diarmuid Connolly when they take on St Loman’s of Westmeath in the AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship quarter finals this weekend, the 2013 All-Ireland winner is convinced his team will adjust.
Connolly — as well as Ballymun’s Philly McMahon — was sent-off with nine minutes remaining of their Dublin senior football final replay but Brennan is pragmatic about how Vincent’s will cope:
“If he’s gone, he’s gone. Other guys will come in and step up to the plate.”
Brennan also admits he’s tired after playing two high-intensity games already this week but he won’t be using it as an excuse on Sunday.
“You have to suck it up, you can’t dwell.
“After 140 minutes of football, I’m absolutely knackered. It was a tough game of football out there for both days. To stay in it the first day, Ballymun will probably be disappointed they didn’t take that game, but we showed great resolve to keep going.
“We did it again [in the replay], we stuck to our game-plan and were rewarded at the end.”
The Dublin centre back was also keen to praise his club-mate Cameron Diamond who scored the winning point in the replay:
“It was a great score from young Cameron. He kicked a great point against Ballyboden as well the last day. He’s really come on in each game. There’s a lot of young lads coming through like Cameron and they’re really pushing on the rest of the team.”
Brennan, who was also around when Vincent’s last claimed the Dublin senior title in 2007, feels this year’s win means more even though they went on to win the All-Ireland club title that season.
“Yeah it is [better]. Every time you get to a county final, you want to win it. It’s been a great season personally with being involved with the county as well.
“To be playing with your club-mates is more special. It’s nice now, I probably won’t appreciate this year until Christmas when I can sit back and reflect.”
Vincent’s won’t take anything for granted though and Brennan is all too aware what will happen if they underestimate Westmeath champions, St Loman’s, on Sunday.
“If we do, we’ll lose. So I hope not. Leinster is very important to us. We’ll enjoy this and then look forward to Loman’s.”
