Both camps giving little away head of SHC final replay
Referee Paud O’Dwyer with players from Mount Leinster Rangers and Naomh Moling at the final whistle of last week's drawn final
A draw at the end of a county final always leaves a vacuum. The players, their management teams and even the supporters have built themselves up for the occasion. Now it all has to be done again.
After losing a seven-point lead in the first half and a four point advantage with time running out, surely Rangers were disappointed. Their manager would not entertain these views.
“No. The scoreboard said it was a draw at the end. I would say both teams are happy to get out with a draw rather than being beaten,” said Paul O’Brien.
Losing a game which they had in the palm of their hands must hurt?
“Of course it hurts,” acknowledged the manager.
“There is no point in lying to you. We wanted to win the game. That is the same attitude which will go into next week. It is disappointing but scores come at different times, that is the reality of it.
“They might have had a couple of more goal chances than we had. It balances itself out.” There was talk of players on both sides having holidays booked this week. O’Brien says this was not true.
“None of that was going on. The Carlow County Board set the county final date and we will be here to play it,” was his message.
Tommy Buggy, the St Mullins manager, was relieved that his side had fought back to live to fight another day.
“We conceded a freak goal after 20 seconds and then we conceded a point. We were 1-1 to no score down after playing with the wind after a minute and a half. We are still there and we will take it,” he acknowledged.
His players registered 12 wides.
“The better hurling was done by both teams into the wind. I thought both teams were wasteful with it and were far more clinical and far more precise against it. We stayed in the fight and got our reward.” He expects more of the same in the replay.
“Let us be honest! There is nothing to give away. We know each other so well. We match up physically. We get our match-ups right. Whoever wants it most next week will win,” he predicted.
He accepted that Carlow hurling was shown in the best possible light on live television but he does admit he can’t enjoy such games.
“When you are stuck in the middle of it, you find it hard to know,” was Buggy’s final words.
