*Kilrush goalkeeper, Stephen Ryan. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
KILRUSH SHAMROCKS are gutted at coming up short by a single point in the Clare intermediate football final but “they will be back,” their manager has insisted.
A last gasp free from Stephen Ryan was on its way to forcing a replay in Saturday’s intermediate decider but a late gush of wind pushed his placed ball to the left of the goal and wide.
It was missed chances in the opening half that proved costly for the Shams according to manager Daniel Ryan.
Playing with a strong breeze, they crucially didn’t possess a half-time advantage. “We needed to be up a few more scores, we had sixteen chances, eleven attacks, eleven chances, eight scores, it sounds like we only missed three but we had three bad wides and a good few dropping short, that is the difference, decision making on the day at vital times cost us but I feel for the boys, I am gutted for them because they put in so much work,” Ryan stated.
Three opening half wides were lamented by Daniel as he reflected on their narrow loss. Losing centre forward Ross Phelan in the second half was also a factor in the outcome, he felt.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, the Kilrush man said, “We’d have to look back at the first half, we left a few scores behind us and dropped a few shots short, we dropped a few short again in the second half. We put up a great battle and fought to the end, Ross Phelan going off was a big loss to us because at that stage in the game we needed lads to be running and carrying the ball, Ross is a serious player for us and it was disappointing to lose him at that stage of the game.
“The last kick from the sideline it looked like it was going over the bar but it just pulled and pulled away, we’re very disappointed, the lads put in a lot of work and great effort, we couldn’t question them at any stage of the year, we were delighted to get a good few players back who hadn’t played and they helped us big time plus the younger lads coming through. We’re disappointed, we’re gutted for them but they will be back”.
