O'Brien expects Dolan to start

June 13, 2009
Wicklow selector Kevin O'Brien expects Dessie Dolan to start tomorrow's Leinster SFC quarter-final, despite him not being named in Westmeath's starting line-up. The Garrycastle sharpshooter has been sidelined for several weeks with knee ligament damage, but O'Brien is convinced that he will be parachuted in at the 11th hour, just as he was against Longford last year. And Wicklow's only All-Star isn't ruling out Michael Ennis - who has an Achilles tendon problem - starting either. "I won't be a bit surprised if we see those two lining out, but in fairness we haven't been concentrating on Westmeath," he said. "We are very much underdogs and no-one really trusts us in beating anyone - we continue to put in a lot of work year after year with Micko. The players have been fantastic, they've responded really well." O'Brien is acutely aware of Westmeath's defensive style of football, and is anxious that his players display patience. "I've been trying to get into the players myself that patience is required. We're going to have to work the move and work the space and the score. "It's a very frustrating game to play against. On the other side, if people are pulling back it leaves loose men in front of their men so it could be a big of a game of chess. It's the way lads react on the day. A lot of ball will be kicked and spun and lost."

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