BY COLM BRADLEY

Vince Lombardi was a man with an uncanny knack of getting to the point. The legendary Green Bay Packers coach constantly preached the need for hard work, dedication and a will to win to his players. He has been described as the Godfather of modern American Football and, across the Atlantic, on this small Island, his sporting philosophy and words of wisdom have been borrowed extensively by managers looking to instil in their players the need for an exhaustive worth ethic.

Lombardi's words are of little use to Fermanagh's Shane Goan however. Not that Goan presumes to know more than a man who holds a post season record of nine wins and one loss, but rather that that work ethic is already ingrained on the Irvinestown man's psyche. He doesn't need words to motivate his desire.

For the past five seasons, Goan has quietly and without fuss gone about improving himself as a player to the point where he is now widely regarded as one of the best corner backs in Ulster.

But, praise washes over Goan. He doesn't buy into, 'all that stuff' and is just looking to cement his place on the starting grid for this Sunday.

"There are plenty of quality players in the squad and nobody can take their place for granted, and I'm certainly not. I just have to hope that I have done enough in training to earn a recall," he explained.

The reason Goan must earn a recall for this game is due to the fact that he has had to watch the last two games from the stands after being sent off against Wexford in the league. That was frustrating, but Goan is just happy to put it behind him and move on.

"It was difficult to watch the boys and not be involved, especially as I had played in the first six league games, but now thank God I'm available for selection, so fingers crossed I'm picked."

Goan looks a certain starter even if he refuses to admit it himself. A member of the victorious Ulster Squad who won the Railway Cup last season, Goan is somebody who puts in the extra long hard yards on his own. Rumour has it that a punch bag hangs in his house, and that along with pounding this, he has been known to pound the rounds around Irvinestown as well. In simple terms he wants to be all he can be and it is this need for total dedication which the player himself sees as the biggest change over the past five years.

"The game has got a little faster over the five years", he said, " but the biggest change is the time and dedication that needs to be given. This year we have trained four nights a week, and when I say that I mean that we have been out of the house four nights from Monday to Friday and then we play matches at the weekend, so it is a massive commitment not only for the players as individuals but for their families as well."

But it is a commitment that Goan gives freely and, when asked the question whether he would relish the challenge of crossing swords with Monaghan dangerman Tommy Freeman, it is easy to see why Goan puts in all those hard yards. The butcher by trade positively salivates at the prospect of going toe to toe against the All Star.

"Everyone likes to push themselves, and if Malachy hands me that task then I will look forward to it. You want to play against the best, and Tommy Freeman is definitely one of the best about."

But the Irvinestown man is also quick to point out that Sunday's result rests on more than one mans shoulders.

"Everyone has their own job to do, and whether we win this game or not will not come down to one man. It's up to the backs to stay tight to their men, and further out the field the rest of the boys will be looking to limit the supply of good ball into their forwards, so it is a collective effort," he asserts.

Sunday will see Goan and his colleagues return to Brewster Park for the first time in almost two years, and the corner back is looking forward to getting back to their home sod but mindful that it too can become an unwelcome distraction in the lead-up to the big game.

"Obviously, it is a huge game and when you consider the fact that we are back in Brewster for the first time in a long time, then there is an added dimension to it. But we can't let that fact get to us too much. We are just happy that we are back and playing in front of a big home crowd and we will try and use that to our advantage on the day."

So what about that elusive Ulster title. Is Goan allowing his thoughts to drift to a possible Anglo Celt? The answer is an emphatic, No.

"We can't let are minds wander past the Monaghan game. They were All Ireland Quarter finalists last year and should have beaten Kerry, and they have been talking about winning Ulster and so on but we can't afford that. We are totally focused on Monaghan and nothing else."

And, perhaps with that punching bag of his in mind he draws an interesting comparison.

"Just look at what happened to Junior Witter in the boxing. He was thinking about the next fight against Rickey Hatton and Timothy Bradley stepped up and beat him all round the ring. You can't be complacent in sport."

Goan won't be on Sunday. And we can be guaranteed he will leave every ounce of energy on the beautiful new sod of Brewster Park.