‘We were always chasing the game’
Daire Walsh
RUSSELL ROVERS manager Michael Mannion admitted his side were below their best at Croke Park on Saturday as their quest for All-Ireland glory ended in a seven-point defeat to Kilkenny’s Conahy Shamrocks.
The Shanagarry men had impressed en route to the junior club hurling showpiece but following a difficult start to the contest, they struggled to rein in the challenge of the Marble County outfit.
“I just don’t think we performed to our maximum. Conahy were very good, they took their scores well.
“They’re a very good team and deserved winners, but we didn’t come up here to lose and make up numbers.
“We came up here with a plan to win and unfortunately it wasn’t our day,” Mannion explained after the game.
“We missed a free early on and then they got a couple of scores.
“We might have gotten back within two at one stage, but there was always that gap there.
“Coming out on in the second half we were hoping we’d get a bit of a kick, but again they got a few scores. We were chasing the game for the 60 minutes.”
Full-forward Josh Beausang’s absence for the whole of the second half certainly didn’t help their cause – the ace attacker having aggravated an existing injury at the tail end of the opening period.
“We always knew there was a possibility with a dislocated shoulder that it could go at any stage.
“It would have been more disappointing if he didn’t get to tog out today, because he basically got us here from the East Cork championship.”
Indeed with that East Cork success being supplemented by county and provincial championship triumphs, Moynihan believes all those involved in Russell Rovers can look back on the past few months with immense pride.
“I’m always a proud Russell Rovers man, even in the dark days. I’m very proud of the area, very proud of our players and very proud of the supporters.
“We’ve got great support over the last number of weeks. When we got a score, the crowd erupted. We’re on the map now,” Moynihan added.