Benny Kieran made his bow in 2009 as a senior team-manager. He partly describes it as "enjoyable but a tremendous eye-opener as well."

Benny Kieran is in philosophical mode as he reflects on a year which saw Sean McDermott's fortunes at junior level fluctuate like the stock markets.
He believes the experience gained by his charges as a result of playing junior football in '09 will "stand to the players going forward."
"Things didn't work out the way we wanted them but the players' commitment was very positive and they gave it everything during the year.
"Injuries had a fair impact on the squad and we missed a few key personnel throughout the year which effected our performances.
"It's still a case of re-building from the time of the intermediate championship in 2002 and we only had four or five of those players with us this year.
"Strength-in-depth is good. We've three adult teams and a core of some 25 senior players but it's a matter of having patience and working hard."
Patience, hard work . . . and a bit of luck perhaps? "I wouldn't disagree with that (suggestion)," Benny chips in. "We didn't get much luck in the championship.
"Credit to Emyvale for winning the Ulster title but they got the luck we wanted against us in the championship and that helped them along quite a bit.
"We were winning with a minute to go in the championship game and then they got a penalty to knock us out of the competition.
"I think that day a lot of our fellas just didn't turn up on the day for whatever reason but, in fairness, we had to look at ourselves along the line too.
"We're new to team-management and we just weren't alert to tactical changes that Emyvale made when we met them in the championship as well.
"I think experience is very important in management as well. Gerry McCarville shows just how much experience can benefit a team off the field too."
To his credit, Benny testifies that he personally found a lot of adjustment was needed in stepping up from underage management to senior.
But his ambition burned and the logical progression ordained that he would oversee the management of a team of adults.
It helped, of course, that Benny had tutored so many of the current Seans' premier team when they were cutting their teeth as juvenile footballers.
So what is his basic philosophy with regard to getting the best from his charges?
"My view would be that you play to your strengths. We have pacy forwards but small in stature so we had to tailor the type of football we play.
"With small forwards, the quality of the ball going into them has to be very good whereas if you had a lot of big, physical players, the long ball could be an alternative tactic.
"When I took on the job, I warned the players that junior football could be quite difficult and that became obvious to our lads the first day out.
"Our first game was in Blackhill. Some of our players hadn't ever played there before but after the first ten minutes their eyes were opened.
"It was a very cold day but Blackhill were up for it in a big way. We took some time to adjust before winning out by the smallest of margins in the end.
"Overall, I don't think there's a lot of difference between the standard of the teams at the top of the junior league and the bottom of the intermediate.
"I think a lot can depend on the team's commitment and the luck that they have along the way because there's not a lot between the teams."
Given Currins' convincing championship victory over Seans in last summer's JFC, it was unsurprising that the Scotshouse-based side went into the teams' JFL final meeting last month as clear favourites to lift the title.
The Saffrons 1-7 to 0-10 draw, first time around, in the Dr. Ward Cup decider was a surprise result but wholly deserved for Kieran and co.
"We went into the final on the back of a real humbling in the championship so there was a bit of pride restored," Benny opined.
"Some of our approach play was excellent and we should have had more than one goal whereas our 'keeper wasn't troubled at all and hadn't a save to make."
The Seans' manager felt the ravages of the weather posed a considerable impediment to the players in their efforts to translate hard-won possession into the hard coinage of scores.
The Saffrons' boss acknowledged that he was disappointed his side didn't consolidate the leg-up of a 1-2 to 0-0 17th minute lead.
"We had eleven players who were appearing in their first final at that level. There was a bit of a danger that they could have froze on the day but their attitude was very good.
"On the balance of play, I thought we deserved to win but if someone had said after the championship that we would put up that kind of performance against them, I would have been happy."
Sadly, the replay proved to be a bridge too far for Benny's boys. The prize of promotion was netted by Currin. Experience triumphed, it seemed.
"Junior football isn't just about testing a team's strength in depth, it's also about their experience and we lacked that to different degrees this year.
"I think 2009 will stand to the lads because there were too many of them playing a level of football during the year that they weren't used to.
"I have a great belief in the squad and I was very impressed by the way they turned their season around after what happened in the championship."
Benny also believes in the capacity of Seans' to continue to roll out a sufficient supply of talent necessary to re-invigorate matters at senior level.
He points to the MFC-winning squad of '02 and their replenishment of the club's premier squad and he feels a new cycle of players is in the pipeline.
"I think most players peak when they're around the 26/27 mark and if that is the case, then the omens are good for the current team going forward.
"One of our lads this year was only 17 while two others were minors and, all told, there were four or five minors in the actual panel.
"Apart from the likes of Derek McMahon, Damien Larkin and Emmet and Stephen McElvaney, the rest of the players need more experience.
"But those fellas will help the younger ones to make their way out of junior and it's up to the team-management to give the youth their chance.
"I've learned that fellas coming through onto the panel need a steady run of games to give them experience and confidence.
"The older lads don't mind sitting on the bench at times and they're not aggrieved as quickly as the younger players if they're not used.
"Having said that, I would think there was something wrong if those players who were left off weren't aggrieved. That wouldn't be a good sign."
Among those helping Benny keep everyone happy during '09 was PE teacher and Togan native Kieran Murphy.
Benny makes no apologies for being 'old school' when it comes to training and man-management techniques.
The fitness of the players is paramount, he ordains.
A man who can certainly talk a good game, the popular local politician concedes he'd never attempt to be a one-man band on the GAA fields.
He says he was apprehensive about taking on the role of supremo of Seans' premier team in 2009 and doesn't know whether he would want to extend the unofficial one-year stint that has just elapsed even if the club were to be gung-ho about him staying put.
If the number of seniors who attended training during the year is any guage, then one can only conclude that the Saffrons' finest appreciated what the Kieran/Murphy alliance brought to the table in the past year.
That the combined efforts of both parties failed to work the oracle in the past year shouldn't preclude them from turning the tables right around in 2010. Tweet

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