'I’m in it to win, and we’re in it to win everything' - Roche

Headford capture Primary Junior Football Championship title against Fr. Griffins-Éire Óg

By Oisín Noone

HEADFORD manager Francis ‘Bunt’ Roche praised his side’s hard work and resilience after they came through a delayed county final, with attention now turning to Connacht.

“They’re a great group of guys," said Roche. "They’ve worked really hard and you only get out of anything what you put into it. These lads have worked really hard, but thanks be to God we got over the line today. We’ll celebrate tonight and we’ll take it from there.”

Roche led Monivea-Abbey to Junior A (1985) and Senior (1992) titles before achieving Intermediate success in 2023 with the club, alongside son-in-law and Corofin native Mike Farragher – who also brings great experience.

“Mike is a genius, he didn’t win four All-Irelands and 13 county finals for no reason. There has to be something there, but in my opinion he’s the best upcoming coach in Galway and maybe Connacht,” he said.

Roche acknowledged there were lessons to learn from their contest with Fr. Griffins-Éire Óg.

“We played football the way it should be played in the first 15 minutes. We started kicking the ball in and moved the ball to our full-forward line. But we switched off then and started minding the ball and got turned over. So, we’ll take learning from this game as well.”

The final had also been delayed by two days due to Saturday's orange weather warning, but Roche felt his players handled the disruption well after he sent them a message the previous evening.

“I sent a text out to the guys last night and I said something good is always worth waiting for. I was just trying to keep the lads’ heads where they should be, and today it proved. It’s not suitable for any team, but eventually we got over the line and it was great.”

Man of the match Sean Birmingham and Mark Earnor combined for 1-12, while their sole other scorer Stephen Casey also impressed, opening the scoring with a superb two-pointer.

“He got a great, super two-pointer, but Stephen is a good lad. Cathal Gavin has played a lot, and Stephen has only started his third game today. Cathal Gavin has played three games,” he said.

“A lot of lads come on there today and a lot of them have started [previously]. It’s not easy. There are a lot of headaches picking this team, but I don’t mind them headaches. They’re good headaches to have.”

The return of Michael Day has bolstered Headford’s ranks, including his experience of the club’s 2013 Junior A success. His midfield partner was among the players praised by Roche.

“I think James O’Brien is a very underestimated player. The last 15 minutes there, I thought he managed the game very well. You need to play the game a lot of the time with your head as well as your feet and your hands. I thought we’d done that in the last 15 minutes.

“Mark Earnor probably got four points there today. Sean [Birmingham] is up on about 40 points, he’s a top scorer by a mile. He’s a class player, but football is a simple game. Keep it simple.”

Roche also highlighted the strength of Headford’s emerging young players.

“We had a very good U-19 team this year. They got beaten in extra-time [in the North Board B final with Annaghdown], and we introduced another man there today, Kyle Greaney. There’s so much there. There’s Matthew Mannion, there’s another nine or ten like Leon Cunningham, but they’re all pushing. They’re very young guys.”

Having guided Headford to the county title in his first season in charge, Roche is already looking ahead to the challenge of representing Galway beyond the county boundary, with the manager making clear that his side's ambitions extend beyond their latest success.

“When we leave Pearse Stadium today, we’re representing Galway, and we have to go out and make sure we’re representing them with dignity,” he said.

“I’m in it to win, and we’re in it to win everything. What’s put in front of us, we just take it on full-blooded.”

Roche’s commitment to the cause comes after he had initially intended to step away from management, before Headford’s determination convinced him to reconsider.

“My whole life, I’ve loved football. It’s hard to turn down. The first man that rang me was Padraic Cunningham. I said to Monivea-Abbey that I’m retiring, and I meant that.

“But Padraic Cunningham rang me, and I actually said, 'No Padraic, I’m not going anywhere'. Headford kept coming to Tuam. They came three times, three guys, and their hearts were so in it.

“I said to Mike Farragher, we’ll give them one year, and hopefully we can bring them back to where they should be.”

Headford were relegated from Intermediate in 2022, and after three consecutive North Board final losses in Primary Junior, Roche and Farragher have successfully brought them that extra step.