O’Connor: ‘Lads are gutted but I’m very proud of them’
St. Gerald's College's Adam Burton comes up against Cian McKenna of CBS Tralee. Picture INPHO/Dan Clohessy
You would needed a hart to stone not to feel for the St Gerald’s College players as they slumped to the ground at the end of a gripping All-Ireland semi-final last Saturday.
The game was in the melting pot as added time approached but goals win games and Tralee CBS scored their fourth in the closing stages to end St Gerald’s hopes of a return to Croke Park for another year.
“I'm so proud of the lads,” said joint-manager Diarmuid O’Connor. “The effort they've put in today and all year has been unbelievable. Right up until the final whistle there, there's a kick of the ball between the teams. The lads are obviously gutted, but yeah, I'm just very proud of them.”
The Mayo senior footballer added: “We were just pushing on to get that last score. As I said, it was a kick of a ball between the teams right up until the last 10 seconds before they got that goal. But in fairness to Tralee CBS, they were probably that bit more clinical. They made some big plays. I think we went two or three up with the breeze at our backs.”
Joe Forry had a superb game for the boys in blue, but Tralee’s greater threat going forward proved a major faction. Centre-forward Ronan Carroll goaled in both halves, while Gearoid White scored a pair of wonderful two-pointers and a goal that was worthy of any occasion.
“Gearoid White ran in for an unbelievable goal and then they kicked a big two-point free there into the breeze when they were under serious pressure. Credit to them and, yeah, just disappointed for our lads but the overall feeling I'm just very proud of them.
“We worked a few goal chances ourselves; we had one or two. As I said, they were probably just a bit more clinical when they got their chances. They took them very well. I know our lads fought so hard around the middle, the battle, something they brought from the first day we went out with this group, we could see how hard they fought for each other, and it was great to see it there again. They didn't play within themselves. They went for it. As I said already, I'm just so proud of them.”
