Meath advanced to the semi-finals of the O’Byrne Cup following a draw with Laois on Saturday night and they could not have done it without Joe Sheridan.
The formerly retired Royals forward has been reborn as a goalkeeper, making his big debut in Stradbally this weekend.
2017 @gaaleinster @BordnaMona #OByrneCup @MeathGAA 2-13 @CLGLaois 1-16 (FT) Match is a draw #GAA
— Meath GAA (@MeathGAA) January 14, 2017
A big, powerful forward in his previous incarnation, Sheridan realised early on that the lot of a goalkeeper is a little different. For the most part you are a sitting duck under a high ball and it is often hard to look graceful while also keeping the net safe.
Even your own team-mates will jump all over you if you give them half a chance.
Well insulated on a bitterly cold Midlands evening, Sheridan was beaten only once and gave a good account of himself from the tee – his kickout ability the main reason Andy McEntee have him a second intercounty life.
The former Ballyboden manager, who won an AIB club All-Ireland with Paul Durcan between the sticks, explained his thinking to SportsJOE GAA editor Colm Parkinson after the game.
“He has the basics and he is a good ball player, with good hands, good kickouts,” said McEntee. “So there are the ingredients of a good goalkeeper.”
He continued: “You need to be a ball player. Stephen Cluxton has changed landscape and changed it for good. You need to be a good ball player and Joe is one. He could take up any game He has good ball sense, good coordination, good decision making.
“Why not? Why not have a look at him?”
Overall McEntee was happy with Sheridan, who may get another runout against his old friends in Louth after Meath drew their neighbours in the semi-finals.
“He is learning all the time, kicking off the tee took him a few weeks to get used to. He kicks it well,” he said.
“He was strong at the end and most of his kick-outs were pretty good. The goal, I don’t think he could do a whole pile for it. By and large I thought he was okay.”
Conceding a single goal on his debut is not bad, but McEntee admits – unsurprisingly – that shot-stopping is Sherdian’s greatest weakness.
“The shot saving you would maybe worry about,” he said. “His positional sense is good. He came off line and forced lads to take shots from angles that if he stayed on line they were goals.”
Two attractive @BordnaMona @gaaleinster O'Byrne Cup S/Finals next Sunday@KildareGAA v @DubGAAOfficial @MeathGAA v @louthgaa#OByrneCup
— Leinster GAA (@gaaleinster) January 15, 2017
The big question now is will McEntee give Sheridan the start against Louth? Big Joe on the goal-line, trying to keep the ball out with his hands, rather than “throwing” them in.
No show like a Joe show.
