Three reasons why the Muskerry men came up short in Croke Park
FINAL MISFIRE – The general consensus afterwards, even by their own supporters and management team, was that Cill na Martra were the architects of their own downfall. Seven scores from 29 scoring opportunities, which included 16 wides, was the deciding factor on the day. For a game they dominated, especially in the second half, to come away with only seven points broke the hearts of those in white and blue. The forwards just left their shooting boots at home, simple as. It ended up being one of their least notable shooters standing up for Cill na Martra in front of goal.
‘There was no conviction in our shot-taking. Three of our points from play came from our cornerback Colm Mac Lochlainn who was man-marking Ross McQuillan,’ explained John Evans. Cill na Martra had the majority of possession and territory, but with every wide that was kicked and with every shot that was missed, confidence drained from the Muskerry side. On another day those shots would have gone over, just not on Sunday.
ORANGE WARNING – St Patrick's county players stood up to the occasion and were a deciding factor in the intermediate title heading north of the border. The standout of the trio of Ross McQuillan, Aidan Nugent and Jason Duffy was the latter who won the man-of-the-match award. His charging runs forward brought some vital scores in the second half that always kept St Patrick's out of Cill na Martra’s reach. Ross McQuillan worked tirelessly to link the play from back to front, and Aidan Nugent did the damage on the scoreboard. He emerged from the contest with 1-3, with his first-half rocket goal being the most significant score in the game. Having the ability to call upon seasoned county veterans really helps at this level, especially when they’re on form. Unfortunately for Cill na Martra, Kieran McGeeney’s county men were firing in Cork Park.
STAGE FRIGHT? – Would it be fair to say that maybe the occasion got to a few of the Cill na Martra players? This was the biggest day in the club’s history, and you can fully understand a player being nervous once you combine the occasion with the location. John Evans was asked if he felt that stage fright was a factor in their play. He felt that wasn’t the reality when it came to their overall performance but, when it came to kicking scores, then that might be the correct phrase.
‘It could be [stage fright], but it’s something that hasn’t happened to us before. We played at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and we came from behind, it was put up to us. I think we still battled out there, but obviously it was stage fright in front of the goals, there’s no question about that. You could be analysing and analysing, it could be stage fright, I’ve a feeling it was stage fright, it was stage fright from 35 metres out into Cullyhanna’s goals,’ explained the Cill na Martra boss.
