A POST HE had long coveted and one that had eluded his grasp, has finally become one that Colm O’Rourke fills.
The Meath football hotseat now consumes his time, a shift from the pundit chair that he for so long occupied, and a step up from the previous managerial positions at club and schools level.
The reaction to the first proper day out then, a lengthy trip to Cork as the Division 2 action commenced?
Plainly speaking, there was an element of relief. In a pressurised second-tier environment, their 3-14 to 0-19 win was to be cherished.
“It is a relief as much as anything else too for all of us who have come into this job just to see that the work that lads have done and the work that we have been doing has got a reward here.
“It is going to be a long road, there will be bumps in the road as we go along. But it is a great start and it will give us a huge amount of confidence. The long journey will be shortened now very much. The mood will be good from everybody.”
The build-up sparked optimism for O’Rourke.
“We thought we had the team in a good place. Sometimes these things blow up in your face. We had given an awful lot of the lads games, 15 fellas in the O’Byrne Cup who had never played senior football for Meath.
“We played Donegal last week and it went well and training this week seemed to step up a gear. The players the first half were very nervous, even before the game, even though we didn’t say much to them, they were very nervous in the dressing room. It seemed to come out in their play and then we were just saying to them, ‘Listen lads, settle down and play.’
“The first half I thought Cork really were in control of it and we were lucky to be only two behind. Our second-half performance a lot better, our subs coming on added a lot.”
Meath’s inside defence showed up well, in O’Rourke’s view.
“They’re inexperienced but Michael Flood won a Sigerson with UCC back five or six years ago, had fallen through the net in Meath, we always felt he should be on the Meath team.
“So he was coming to the table here at 26 or 27 years of age. He’s a mature calm type of presence. The other young fellas, they were all showing well.”
The availability of the long-serving Bryan Menton for Meath remains in doubt.
“I have chatted to him,” said O’Rourke.
“He is reluctant. I will talk to him again. The door is always open for Bryan Menton if he wants to come back in. He has nothing against anybody or anything, he is just at an age where he has played for a lot of football for Meath.
“He has been a wonderful player for Meath, he is a great fella. He is moving to a different stage of life, but we’d love to him back because he would be a useful addition to the team.”
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