Kieran Martin says Jack Cooney has brought a buzz to Westmeath football
Wednesday 23 January 2019 12:23, UK
Westmeath forward Kieran Martin has described the preseason under Jack Cooney as one of his most enjoyable years.
The Lake County claimed O'Byrne Cup honours with a 1-12 to 0-10 defeat of Dublin last Friday, and Jack Cooney's charges will be eager to build on the victory as they move into the National League.
"It was a good performance on the night," commented Martin. "Coming into it, we were focused on winning something when we got the chance, but at the same time we can't get too carried away with it, we have a big test now in the next few weeks. We have Offaly at the weekend, so we have to get together and focus on that.
"But you can't beat the competitive games to bring you along too. That's ten times better than any training session, so it was nice to get the performance. Can we improve? Yes, we can, but it's great to get the win in the end."
Cooney savours 'special' O'Byrne title
Martin feels that Cooney has brought a lift in his first year as manager. 2018 finished on a low ebb after heavy defeats to Laois and Armagh, and it was important for the side to hit the ground running for the new season.
"This has been probably one of the most enjoyable years we've had," explained the experienced forward. "Every lad is coming in and wants to do his best for the team. Jack is a Westmeath man, and from facing the lads as a club manager, he knows what they are like and he can see the full potential in them. If anyone can get it out of them, Jack will.
"They are down to a tee with everything. Even [the O'Byrne Cup final], meeting up and we had Garda escort coming into make sure we were on time. A few of the lads didn't even know what was going on and they were just seeing blue lights everywhere!
"But little things like that make a difference. It makes you feel important and that's what you want. You want a lot of confidence coming into these games, especially with the young lads. Coming in, lads are bouncing on their feet and mad to get out, and that's totally from the backroom team. They can see the potential in us, and they are pushing us to the limit for every training session, and every day we are not training, we have to do our own bit. In fairness, the lads are pulling in behind them and pulling with it.
"Hopefully the next few weeks are as enjoyable as the last few."
