Cuala still sweating over Matt
CUALA ace David Treacy is keeping his fingers crossed that Mattie Kenny will stay on as boss of the back-toback All-ireland Club hurling champions for another year.
In the wake of the Dublin outfit’s one goal win over Na Piarsaigh in the final replay last Saturday, Shane O’neill stepped down from his managerial role with the Limerick champions.
But Galway native Kenny, who has already served four years in the Cuala hot seat, has yet to make a decision on his future with the
Dalkey club.
“It would be great if Mattie stayed on with us for another year, and everyone in the club is hoping that’s the decision he will make,” said wing-forward Treacy, who bagged nine points in the Portlaoise decider as Cuala became only the fifth club to win back-to-back All-ireland hurling titles.
“But we won’t be putting any pressure on Mattie to make a decision, and he can take as long as he likes before he makes up his mind.
“If Mattie opts to do something else we will have total respect and understanding for the decision that he makes.”
Kenny, who stepped down as Galway selector at the end of the 2013 Championship campaign, has steered Cuala to three county titles on the trot and two successive Leinster and All-ireland titles in his four years in charge.
“Obviously Mattie’s time with us has been by far the most successful period in the club’s history, and it’s clearly been an absolutely brilliant time for us,” said Treacy.
“So he owes us absolutely nothing.” THE last time Roscommon found themselves in a Division Two final, it was accompanied by talk of All-irelands. Then manager John Evans (left), after guiding them to victory over Down three years ago, said he was building towards winning the county’s first All-ireland since 1944, though the fact it was an aspiration for down the road was brushed over somewhat at the time.
In any event, Roscommon had an underwhelming Cham- pionship and the Kerryman stepped down afterwards.
Conor Devaney was at odds with Evans at the time, however, and wasn’t involved. He returned the following year under the new regime and has won a Connacht title and, last Sunday, promotion to Division Two with Sunday’s final against Cavan at Croke Park to come.
“I don’t think Roscommon at the time, or even now, were going to win an All-ireland,” says the 30-year-old. “We can hope at some point in future maybe but I think for now, there are more realistic goals like this year, trying to get promoted from Division Two.
“Trying to have a good competitive game in a Connacht final, so I think they’re realistic goals for us now. Trying to get to the Super 8s year after year would be a goal of mine too.”
Their elevation back to Division One means there will be something of a rarity in 2019 with three Connacht counties in the top flight though Devaney is honest enough to admit, despite Roscommon being provincial champions, they have quite a gap to bridge to Mayo, who eliminated them at the All-ireland quarter-final stage after a replay.