 Player Interviews
Alan Giles - Pembroke
Given Pembroke’s scary strength in depth, it is perhaps unsurprising captain Alan Giles said he is not “overly concerned” by the absence of Justin Sherriff (work) and Tim Lewis (injury) for their bid to retain the Irish Hockey League.
Gordon Elliott is another doubt for a repeat of 2009’s inaugural final against Glenanne – and, indeed, countless other title clashes over the past 15 years – but the Serpentine Avenue side have forged a sizable panel capable of subsuming the loss of over 200 Irish caps worth of talent.
Internationals Adam Pritchard and Andy McConnell were added to the roster for the retention bid but it is the rock-steady core which Giles feel is the making of this team.
The club have won every trophy of note in the past two seasons – both indoors and out – and while the trio will be missed, Giles says the side have been down men at different stages before and coped.
“Certainly they do bring masses of experience and strength but the squad has been together for the last two or three years and has grown. We do have a lot of depth and experience in the squad so I wouldn’t be overly concerned.”
Indeed, the Kildare man appears in a serene but focussed mood when numerous pressure points are put forward. Suggestions that not having an EHL place already in the bag; a lack of many competitive fixtures in the past six weeks and the Glen’s rivalry element all draw straight-bats with importance centred on what his side can do rather than external factors.
“I wouldn’t say there’s more pressure this year. We’ve performed well this season so far, picking up the league and the indoor cup as well as being at the EHL so, in that respect, we’re well prepared for the actual tournament this weekend.
“Obviously it’s not ideal, not to be playing week in, week out but we’ve had some practice games training has been high quality and we’ve been in the gym while there were one or two IHL games so I wouldn’t think there’s any difficulty there.”
Pembroke and Glenanne games always stir a certain emotion in the heart of the Irish hockey fraternity, given their extended head-to-heads.
For Stephen Butler, who moves to Belgium in the summer, this will be his last opportunity to triumph over the old enemy after many famous battles. The same could well go for the likes of Clinton Murphy and Paul Fitzpatrick.
On the other side of the fence, rumours abound that some Pembroke players could be moving further afield, too, when the season breaks adding to the willingness to end the campaign on a high note.
Last year’s final, settled by a dramatic penalty one-on-one shoot-out, was a fine exhibition for the game. Some would have liked the Senior Cup winners against reigning champions as the decider once more, especially were that tension and drama to be recreated but Giles was keen to play down the significance of the two club’s intertwined recent history.
“Our games against Glenanne are always tough and there’s the local derby element. Whether it’s a semi-final or final, I don’t think there’s any difference between the two.
“It’s one game at a time, focus on the next game and winning it. It’s an opposition that we’ve come up against, obviously we’ve a lot of experience, meeting each other in finals but I wouldn’t consider [the rivalry] a major issue.
“I wouldn’t say we’re relaxed but definitely focused on the weekend ahead. There’s been numerous emails going round from various players on their thoughts and the focus has been very much geared toward the weekend ahead. Coming into the weekend we’re in good shape, have the right ideas and it’s positive in the camp!
Interview conducted by Stephen Findlater, Freelance Journalist on behalf of the IHA |
