They will just
Tourlestrane’s Anthony Brennan, the new Sligo Ladies Football team manager, is setting new targets after last year’s underwhelming campaign saw Sligo lose all eight of their competitive fixtures
Update
Update
THINGS can only get better for Sligo Ladies Footballers. Indeed, after a horrible record in 2020, they have to.
LGFA All-Ireland Intermediate Championship semi-finalists in the previous four years (2016-2019), last year Sligo lost all three of their TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship games and their five Lidl National Football League Division Three outings.
Across those eight games, their scoring difference was -127 points, including a cruel 7-18 to 0-2 loss to Clare in their final game of an underpar year. But with Covid-19 tearing through the country, the National Football League were halted after five rounds, while the redrawn championship structures meant there would be no relegation from the Senior or Intermediate competitions.
In the end the collateral damage was minimal, with Sligo retaining their Intermediate and Division Three status for 2021, but new manager Anthony Brennan takes over a side with fragile self-belief and plenty to prove to themselves and their supporters.
Brennan’s daughter, Nicola, captained Sligo last year, and it was watching her team struggle that prompted the successful coach and manager to turn his focus from the men’s to the women’s game in 2021.
But there will be no sugar-coating the task from the straight-talking Brennan. He expects continued effort from his panel as well as a rapid improvement in their performances. “They were very, very lucky last year. It was miraculous. They were going straight down to Division Four, that’s the reality. But I think the team should have been able to cope last year, even with the players that were missing,” said Brennan.
“It wasn’t a good year and there is no point making it sound any better. Realistically, with the panel that was there, it was unacceptable.”
“I don’t want to lie for one minute, I’ll be telling the players that too. Those performances are not acceptable at this level.
“I would hope we can perform an awful lot better than that. I would be very disappointed if we couldn’t. I have a strong squad put together.” “We have about 35 players in with us, but there will be another four or five more that I would be hoping will come in with us.
“But starting off, I really want to get the squad tied down early. Players can’t really be coming in in a few months’ time at the last minute. I want to work with a panel that’s going to be there all the time.
“At the minute there are three of our clubs still involved in the 2020 Connacht Club Championships. St Nathy’s, Geevagh and Eoghan Rua are still going strong, but those competitions have been delayed too.
“But we have players in from those three clubs and they have committed to us. In fairness, I am very happy with
the amount of players coming in to put their hand up.”
Brennan is one of the most successful club managers in Sligo GAA in the last two decades.
After a lengthy playing career that started as a 17-year-old representing the county at Minor, U-21 and Senior level in the same season, he retired from playing in 1994.
His coaching career started off at Banada Abbey, while he has since managed his native Tourlestrane to two county titles.
Brennan repeated the feat with neighbours Curry, and Fr Manning