Vincent's set sights on new goal

The St Vincent's panel met up officially last night for the first time since ending a 23-year wait for a Dublin football title last Monday at Parnell Park. They return to the Donnycarney ground, just up the road from their Marino base, next Tuesday evening to face the Wicklow champions in the Leinster club championship.

Current manager Mickey Whelan was also in charge when they last captured county and provincial titles in 1984 so he is well versed on how to prepare a team for what lies ahead.

"As far as I'm concerned everything we achieve from here is a bonus," says Whelan. "Our objectives for the year have been achieved but we'll sit down tonight and set new objectives. These guys have been celebrating as you can imagine."

And deservedly so. The intercounty players in particular have been on the go for almost 12 months, basically since St Vincent's lost last year's final to UCD, with captain Tomás Quinn expected to curtail holidays in order to lead them through a Leinster campaign.

Presuming the celebrations have subsided they will be expected to overcome the winners of Rathnew and Baltinglass who meet in the Wicklow final on Sunday in Aughrim.

Whelan, however, is less convinced that his charges hold a clear advantage despite the Wicklow champions' two-day recovery period. "They'll be coming in fresher because you can put a celebration on hold for two days but not for seven or eight days so if they win they are at their peak. They will recover and play again Tuesday."

A strange take on the situation and possibly a bit of mind games on the part of Whelan but he is equally adamant that St Vincent's can now play with a freedom not evident in their pressure-filled march to the county final. The club's significance to Dublin football and traditions is something every juvenile is made aware of on arrival at Páirc Naomh Uinsionn.

"I don't think it will be difficult for them to get mentally tuned in for this game. Whether that will be sufficient on the back of two or three days' celebrating I don't know but they will zero in on the next objective."

The Tuesday fixture, which has a 8pm throw-in, was scheduled to ensure the Leinster club quarter-finals are completed by the following weekend. The winners of the Meath replay between Navan O'Mahony's and Seneschalstown, also this Sunday, wait in the last eight with Portlaoise possible semi-final opponents. "There will be nothing easy from now on but there was nothing easy in the Dublin championship."

This is also true. St Vincent's avenged defeat to Kilmacud Crokes in the early stages to tactically out-fox them come the penultimate round. In the final they found a method to counter a St Brigid's defence, which occasionally left only full forward Kevin Bonner in the other half, mainly via the accuracy of Diarmuid Connolly and Tomás Quinn.

Then there is the upward curve of centre back Ger Brennan. A stand-out performer in the 2006 championship, Brennan was promoted to the Dublin panel but was used as a wing back throughout the National League campaign before manager Paul Caffrey preferred a half-back line of Barry Cahill, Bryan Cullen and Paul Casey in the summer months.

His performance is even more commendable considering he carried a damaged ankle into last Friday.

"He played centre back for Dublin minors (in 2003 when Whelan was also involved). Every time I play him I play him centre back. At intercounty level there is talent in that area but I think one way or another he will figure prominently for Dublin after such a fabulous year. He's a solid guy."

Will Whelan go to Aughrim this Sunday? "I might or I might not. Maybe it is time now to lose sight of the tactics and let these guys ad-lib because they have a lot of football in them."