It’s very easy to arrive at conclusions that seem obvious. It doesn’t always work out as such though. So it was in MacHale Park Castlebar on Saturday evening last.
The dismissal of Ronan Jones was hoisted as Exhibit A in the dissection of where matters went wrong for Meath in the west. Yes, it was one turning point, a big one, but I would strongly contend that it was not the winning and losing of the match.
In fairness to them, Andy Moran’s charges had wrestled control of the all important momentum before my clubmate and friend was caught up in the messiness. Which (a) was started by the Mayo player hitting him (familiar, eh?) (b) the easily led match referee didn’t even see either incident, and (c) Ronan was expelled on the say-so of an individual who, through either ineptitude or pure thickness, let Michael Murphy away with an act of blatant filth in the Div. 1 FL Final. The incompetence of which hardly espouses the virtues of somebody who should be still be on the inter county referees panel.
One is desperate to move on from that farcical element of Saturday’s seismic disappointment.
Which, regrettably in one obvious sense, is one very easily done with the reality that, were it not for a few outstanding saves from Sean Brennan. One in particular from Kobe McDonald.
Now, when doing the actual match report in this space on Saturday night/Sunday morning the point was made that Jack O’Connor did in fact put the visitors back in front in the immediate aftermath of the red card but in all honesty by then those in white and navy attire were running on fumes.
Indeed, an appraisal of the overall picture from a bit of a remove would suggest that has been the case from a bit of the way out. Why that’s the case is a subject matter all unto itself, but one for another day.
Against Louth, Tyrone, Westmeath, Cork and, most recently, Mayo, Meath were out of the traps like greyhounds and had built up considerable leads only to see them wiped out with frightening rapidity and in all but two of the above cases not retrieved.
However, perhaps out of personal need as much as anything else, the season unfortunately now concluded for our male county teams must be viewed as one of positive progression. First and foremost, obviously, owing to the annexation of promotion to Div. 1 of the National Football League.
Of equal if not greater importance, mind you, is the fact that both Minor and U-20 teams were highly competitive in their respective grades. Thus ensuring the conveyor belt of talent in still ticking over. Indeed, were it not for the asinine, bullying way in which inter county competitions are now run, Trevor Giles’s side would almost certainly have captured the Leinster title. But then, if you avert your gaze to a slightly different lens, how is the lunacy allowed whereby on this, June 23rd, there are only three games of inter county hurling left between now and next February? Democracy simply doesn’t work!
Anyway, away from all that, hope would be that players such as Tomas Clarke, Niall Rogan, Liam O’Donoghue, Harry McGuirk, Conn Brennan and, we can only hope, Milo Stafford, will progress to the county U-20 setup and/or Development Squads and hopefully the highest level.
Furthermore, from this years U-20 brigade there’s no reason why the likes of Cillian Yore, Finn Moore, Sam Jordan, Colin Scanlon, Michael McIvor, John Harkin, Ben Corkery and/or Cormac O’Donoghue (at least) can’t continue their journey to the top table.
Just as their predecessors in the final underage grade, Brian O’Halloran and Killian Smyth and Jamie Murphy to varying degrees have got their ‘break’ with the senior panel too this season. Special mention, too, for Oisin Martin of the Wolfe Tones club. No doubt all of the above will be hoping to push on another step in establishing themselves with Robbie Brennan’s panel for 2027 and beyond.
Murphy and Martin are certainly two I am looking forward to seeing progressing still further next year and – the following is purely my own wish list – I would love to see Gary Breslin, Conor McWeeney, Josh Harford, Rian Stafford and Rian McConnell get a proper opportunity as well.
Still, on the inter county scene, any time you attain silverware of any sort and get yourself back to football’s top table, it has to be viewed as a successful campaign. As a long standing friend of mine once famously put it – A lot done, more to do!
Fág freagra