Dineen retains quiet air of confidence ahead of decider

NIGEL DINEEN is no stranger to the principles of reverse psychology, talking up the opposing team, playing down the chances of his own, while always maintaining a certain air of confidence.

It worked as a player, most famously in 2001, when Dineen helped Roscommon to their first Connacht senior title in a decade. Now he’s at it again, in this his first year as Roscommon under-21 football manager.

On Sunday he takes his Roscommon team to Tullamore for their first All-Ireland final appearance in 30 years, having last won the title outright in 1978. That’s only part of the challenge: they face a Dublin team that have scored an incredible 11-75 in their five games so far in the competition, and are actually seeking a second title in three years.

“I think Dublin have been favourites for this title from a way out,” he says. “They are a very, very good side, and when the pressure has come on them in certain games they’ve responded very well, overcoming most teams with ease.

“Of course Sunday is a different game again, an All-Ireland final, the last two teams left in the competition. And the team that wants it most is going to win.”

There’s no question Dublin will start as favourites, yet Dineen has reason to believe his Roscommon are well up the challenge. They’ve already overcome a fancied Mayo team in Connacht, before beating Sligo in the provincial final, and more recently beat an equally fancied Cavan team in the All-Ireland semi-final, 2-7 to 2-2.

“For us, beating Cavan, wasn’t exactly a surprise, although Cavan were certainly favourites, having contested last year’s final, against Galway, then winning Ulster again this year. A third Ulster final in a row, actually.

“But we didn’t view it as an upset. We’ve been very focused all season, and had a goal from the start of the year, to make the All-Ireland final. When we beat Mayo in the Connacht semi-final I think that showed how much this team wanted to win, and could play football, and then in the Connacht final against Sligo we were probably the favourites, and I think we handled that very well.

“The semi-final then against Cavan was a tight game, a very defensive game. And we’ll certainly need to be defensive against Dublin. You can’t allow players of the calibre of young Ciarán Kilkenny to run at you. We have to keep our shape throughout the field.”

Again, Dineen is playing down Roscommon’s strengths a little here: they have some dangerous forwards of their own, including Colin Compton and Donie Smith, and also boast an enviable underage record in recent years. They’ve contested six of the last nine Connacht under-21 finals, also winning in 2010 when Dineen was a selector.

“I think there’s been very good under-21 work done in Roscommon going right back to 2000, when the right structures were put in place, with development squads. You saw the first breakthrough in 2006 when the minor team won that All-Ireland title, in the replay in Ennis.

“Since then we’ve been competing very well at minor level, and won another few Connacht titles. I think this under-21 team has benefited from that as well, winning the title in 2010, and now again, two years later. There is a good conveyor belt of players coming through. We’ve a good mix, seven or eight in their last year, and another seven or eight just coming off the minor team.

“And look, it’s very important to be competing and winning titles at any level. It would make a big difference for these players to go on and achieve something at senior level, to win an All-Ireland under-21 title, same as it would be for any county. I really feel the under-21 grade is a key transition between minor and senior, and that’s why it’s so important.

“We’ve been preparing this team since January 1st, and that’s what it takes. It’s great for the players, what they want to achieve. They’re in an All-Ireland final now, so it’s in their own hands.”