Sligo's Paul McNamara: 'We are as good as any team once we put our mind to it'

BreakingNews.ie

04-05-2025

After previous semi-final defeats, Sligo footballer Paul McNamara has backed his county to go all the way in the Tailteann Cup.
Following the group stage draw, Sligo were drawn with Kildare, Leitrim, and Tipperary, who they will play first at home.
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Last year, Sligo suffered semi-final heartbreak as they were defeated by eventual winners Down after extra-time.
Many of the squad won a Division four title in 2023, while success at U20 and minors was a key part of the squad's development.
For McNamara, belief has been the big message heading into the championship.
"We played Down in the league last year and took a fair clipping, so we knew exactly what they were going to bring.
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"We are as good as any team, once we put our mind to it and make sure we relate back to the basics we speak about in training. Belief is a big thing we would have worked on.
"We were a point up with 20 seconds on the clock, a man down for 20 minutes. A crazy game that really could have gone either way."
After a difficult start to the league, Sligo rallied strongly to finish fifth in Division Three, before pushing Mayo all the way in the Connacht quarter-final in MacHale Park.
It was the second year in a row Sligo almost caused a major shock, with Galway scoring a last second goal to overcome Sligo in the Connacht semi-final last season.
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Despite a slow start to the season, the Sligo defender was confident they would peak at the right time.
"At the start of the year, your main goal for the first half of the season is promotion from Division Three.
"When the first few games don't go to plan, all of a sudden then you are trying to avoid relegation, your mind does move forward towards Tailteann Cup.
"I don't know if that is something that is planned, because we certainly took those losses fairly brutally. We seem to always get it together, whether it be Galway last year or away to Mayo this year.
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"Fair enough, we didn't get it over the line in either of those games. but it shows we can match it with those teams when we do play to out potential.
"As the dust settles, and you get back training, it is a case of Galway got to the All-Ireland final last year, we did this really well against them, same with Mayo this year. We lost the game, but we took massive learnings that we have been trying to bring training for the last few weeks.
"I don't think it is an intentional peak, but I am looking forward to the next few weeks."
As players across the country are becoming well used to the new rules, better conditions and weather will see them maximised to their full potential.
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For a defender like McNamara, the individual battles on the pitch have been a welcome addition, as the 29-year-old admits the new rules have worked out better than he thought.
"To be honest, they have worked out a lot better than I thought they would, I was a little apprehensive when there was so many new rules brought in at the start of the year.
"To be fair, they have definitely made for a more open game in terms of the three up and three back.
"The kick outs are probably the big one we struggled with early in the year, you can't give it back to the keeper, you can't give a short kick out in the new 40 metre arc, so that is something we have to work really hard to get used to.
"They have definitely made the game an easier watch, it is an exciting watch as well."