‘A head-scratcher’
Magee says players didn’t perform
WICKLOW manager Johnny Magee said the overall feeling from Sunday’s defeat to Leitrim in the Garden County’s opening league game was one of “disappointment”.
The Wicklow boss said that the squad had prepared as best they could but that the early concession of the goal was a major blow in the game where his players just didn’t turn up and do themselves justice.
“We prepared as best we could,” said Johnny Magee, “We wer every happy with preparations but conceding the goal in the first minute was a big setback for us.
“As a manager it’s disappointing and the players are disappointed with their performance,” he said.
On paper the Wicklow team looked reasonably strong with a very threatening looking full-forward line of Tommy Kelly, Seanie Furlong and John McGrath and strong players in certain positions.
However, all over the field on the day Wicklow were just second best to everything and Leitrim fully deserved their victory.
“It was as strong a team as we could put out,” said Johnny Magee. That’s the strongest full-forward line we’ve had with the players that have been available to us. But it’s all well and good having the players but if it doesn’t happen it doesn’t happen.
“You get those days. The lads didn’t perform and when you cross that white line tere’s only so much you can do as a manager. It’s a head-scratcher. We had worked extremely hard. This time last year we were up and running with two wins, one of them against Leitrim, so it’s really disappointing.
“The lads are hugely disappointed and to be honest I haven’t slept much since Sunday. A lot of time and effort has gone into this,” he added.
To make the disappointment more pronounced the heavy defeat came just days after the launch of the new sponsorship and jersey at Powerscourt which was attended by a raft of national media outlets including RTE and others.
Magee said that it was great to get the sponsorship and new jersey and it was great to see the reaction to the jersey but that the defeat was made all the more difficult to take coming so soon after such a positive event.
Up next for Wicklow is a very difficult trip to Waterford who dismissed the challenge of London last weekend.
“Waterford is going to be tricky,” said Magee. “We haven’t had much success against Water- ford in recent times but I know when we pull it together we are good enough to beat Waterford or Leitrim. The lads are going to be sore and we’re looking for a reaction, we’re looking for the right response,” he added.
Johnny Magee also added that they would be appealing Stephen Kelly’s dismissal from the game against Leitrim last Sunday due to video evidence that shows Ross O’Brien delivering the late challenge and not the Éire Óg Greystones man.
“It didn’t cause the loss but it didn’t help,” said the Wicklow boss.