Ciaran Kavanagh Interview
6th April 2002.
From the Dundalk Democrat.
If any one player epitomises Dundalk’s roller-coaster season it must be midfielder, Ciaran Kavanagh, who achieved one of his ambitions when signing for his home town club after a very successful decade with UCD.
Time to settle
The Bay Estate man was one of a number of big name players to come into the squad for the first year back in the top flight. Like many of his colleagues, he took time to settle, but in recent weeks, in particular, he has hit top form once again to coincide with an excellent run that could ultimately turn a potentially disastrous season into a glorious one.
While many supporters were frustrated with the poor results in the early part of the season, Ciaran feels that it was not all that surprising given the number of new faces that came in at the same time.
“It is difficult when you move to a new club as you have to prove yourself once again to the fans who wouldn’t have seen you on a regular basis,” he says. “There were a few of us in that position and some found it difficult to establish themselves. You tend to feel the pressure, particularly at home.
“Being a local, I certainly felt it. I always wanted to play for Dundalk and it would be foolish to suggest that I didn’t come under pressure, particularly as the team weren’t playing well and the results weren’t coming,” he explained.
Good results
However, the dynamic midfielder knew that individuals hadn’t become bad players over night, and was optimistic that things would come right in the end, as the did in the last couple of months.
“As the season progressed we were getting good results away from home, and then our Oriel form picked up,” he adds. “When you reach a Cup Final, people must realise that you are not a bad team at all.
“Each player began to show his worth and why the manager kept faith in them even when things weren’t going right. We had a record of nine matches unbeaten up ot the pat’s match, so it is not just a flash-in-the-pan – we have been doing well over an extended period.
“Although there haven’t been that many changes in personnel since Christmas, we are playing much more consistently. Garry Haylock has come in while John Whyte has returned at the back, both helping to steady the team. But apart from that, it is the same group of players. There are less injuries and suspensions, so the manager is not forced into making two or three changes every week, which certainly didn’t help our form early on.
“As a team, we have stopped giving away silly goals and there aren’t as many individual errors as in the early part of the season. More important is that fact that we are now getting goals from different people at vital times in crucial games.”
Hard work, some luck
This change of fortune can, according to Ciaran, be put down to hard work and a bit of luck on the way, and he is hoping that this formula will continue to bring rewards on Sunday afternoon. Although Dundalk’s form of late has been encouraging, he is under no illusions that Bohemians will be a very difficult side to beat, particularly when there is silverware at stake.
“In the games with Bohemians so far this season, they have shown themselves to be a very good team, as you would expect from a full-time outfit. They will be hard to beat, particularly as they are the holders and this is their only hope for Europe. They can’t finish second in the League so they need to win the Cup and will realise that if they miss out on Sunday it will represent a catastrophic season.”
Excellent chance
While he has a healthy respect for the opposition, Kavanagh, is confident that if Dundalk play to their potential, they have an excellent chance of bringing the cup back to the town for the first time in 14 years.
“We have shown in the last few games that we can mix it with the best. On our day we can give anyone a game, and we certainly won’t fear Bohs.”
The prize of a place in European football is an extra incentive, and having played in the Intertoto Cup with UCD, Ciaran would love to experience that level of competition once again.
“Playing in Europe would be fantastic, especially when you consider where we were a few weeks ago. However, that is for another day; at the moment we are concentrating on Sunday’s game and hopefully coming out on top.
“Playing in the final with your home team is something special and I am really looking forward to the occasion. I have never even played in a semi-final before, and my biggest games to date were in the Intertoto Cup and the League Cup Final. It is the most important day of the season and we are all determined to enjoy it. A few weeks ago we didn’t think this would be happening, so we have to go out and make the most of it.”
