Training Log Archive: paddyc87In the 7 days ending Aug 16, 2008: |
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Sunday Aug 10, 2008 #
Note
Week beginning 10th August
Match - Premier Reserves v Loughinisland
Sunday 10th August 2pm, Cherryvale
This was my 3rd game back for the Premier Reserves and was probably the toughest, despite it being on home soil in cherryvale. In spite of that, I played well at full back on a recent Down minor, keeping him to a single point late in the second half, though it was disappointing to let a 2 point lead slip with 10 mins to go. Funnily enough, I was down to mark a much bigger fella, but I was switched off him after 5 mins to accomodate one of the corner backs who didn't have the pace to mark the man I ended up with. The more i've trained since i've got back, the better and more fit I feel. The difference with just say 4 weeks ago is pretty good, even if I still feel I've a couple of gears to click into. the sprint training has been very much worth it, though the benefits of the longer runs I was consistently doing back in LLN can also be seen. The work on being more comfortable on the ball i did in Belgium is starting to bear fruit, a number of scores resulted from me having the confidence to demand short kick outs and move the ball at pace up the pitch, leading to 1-1. The legs were starting to go a wee bit in the last 10 which was disappointing, my man got a bit more space than I would have wanted then. Made a large number of interceptions, and won the usual "dirty ball" that I'm expected to win, and used it intelligently. Need to get on the ball more often though, and my judgement of 2 high balls towards the end was a bit suspect. But if i continue to work hard, the rewards will be there. Everyone is saying how amazingly quickly I've got back to what they regard as the "heights" of last year, but I know myself that I've a lot of work to do - need to get down the pec more often to do some serious lower body work, while I've lost some of the strength I had earlier in the year due to a shoulder injury that has left me unable to do much upper-body work. Probably didnt help that I've been playing through that over the last month, but it feels better now, so there's no excuses.
Match - Bryansford v Thirds
Sunday 10th August 7pm, Bryansford
Less said about this game the better! Team were well beaten by 9 points, and wasnt really in the mood for the game. Was joking with Tony before the start "just 60 mins till this is over and we can go home". Was a scratch team, me and 6 other seconds were asked to play the game on the traditional maxim "because you are young and have legs", and as such, while totally unenthusiastic, we felt bound to play. Have never liked 2 games in a day, have never liked the Bryansford pitch and wasnt fired to play at all, but when the ball was thrown in, I was surprisingly involved, lined out at CHB and did a good job around the middle, was named man of the match in some quarters, though I was really playing within myself at maybe 60% capacity. It's terrible when you don't really care about a game, unlike earlier when I was giving everything. But these things have to be done, and playing the game made me realise how thirds football is something I want to be doing as little as possible because without being arrogant, I know I'm far too good for this level, and I'm proving it at the minute. So at least then,with that knowledge, a trip to Newcastle on a damp Sunday evening wasn't a waste after all.
Match - Premier Reserves v Loughinisland
Sunday 10th August 2pm, Cherryvale
This was my 3rd game back for the Premier Reserves and was probably the toughest, despite it being on home soil in cherryvale. In spite of that, I played well at full back on a recent Down minor, keeping him to a single point late in the second half, though it was disappointing to let a 2 point lead slip with 10 mins to go. Funnily enough, I was down to mark a much bigger fella, but I was switched off him after 5 mins to accomodate one of the corner backs who didn't have the pace to mark the man I ended up with. The more i've trained since i've got back, the better and more fit I feel. The difference with just say 4 weeks ago is pretty good, even if I still feel I've a couple of gears to click into. the sprint training has been very much worth it, though the benefits of the longer runs I was consistently doing back in LLN can also be seen. The work on being more comfortable on the ball i did in Belgium is starting to bear fruit, a number of scores resulted from me having the confidence to demand short kick outs and move the ball at pace up the pitch, leading to 1-1. The legs were starting to go a wee bit in the last 10 which was disappointing, my man got a bit more space than I would have wanted then. Made a large number of interceptions, and won the usual "dirty ball" that I'm expected to win, and used it intelligently. Need to get on the ball more often though, and my judgement of 2 high balls towards the end was a bit suspect. But if i continue to work hard, the rewards will be there. Everyone is saying how amazingly quickly I've got back to what they regard as the "heights" of last year, but I know myself that I've a lot of work to do - need to get down the pec more often to do some serious lower body work, while I've lost some of the strength I had earlier in the year due to a shoulder injury that has left me unable to do much upper-body work. Probably didnt help that I've been playing through that over the last month, but it feels better now, so there's no excuses.
Match - Bryansford v Thirds
Sunday 10th August 7pm, Bryansford
Less said about this game the better! Team were well beaten by 9 points, and wasnt really in the mood for the game. Was joking with Tony before the start "just 60 mins till this is over and we can go home". Was a scratch team, me and 6 other seconds were asked to play the game on the traditional maxim "because you are young and have legs", and as such, while totally unenthusiastic, we felt bound to play. Have never liked 2 games in a day, have never liked the Bryansford pitch and wasnt fired to play at all, but when the ball was thrown in, I was surprisingly involved, lined out at CHB and did a good job around the middle, was named man of the match in some quarters, though I was really playing within myself at maybe 60% capacity. It's terrible when you don't really care about a game, unlike earlier when I was giving everything. But these things have to be done, and playing the game made me realise how thirds football is something I want to be doing as little as possible because without being arrogant, I know I'm far too good for this level, and I'm proving it at the minute. So at least then,with that knowledge, a trip to Newcastle on a damp Sunday evening wasn't a waste after all.