‘It was a kick of the ball at the end of the day between the teams that’s what it was’
THERE was disappointment, of course there was, but there was also a degree of stoicism to how Templenoe manager John Rice reacted to defeat at the hands of Oughterard last weekend.
He took defeat on the chin with his typical equanimity.
“Any semi-final of any competition you’re in it’s always going to be really tough,” he said.
“Especially in an All Ireland series like this and I want to say congratulations to Oughterard, they came out well today on top of us. We’ve got a very good, exciting team inside there [the dressing room], but very disappointed.
“Conditions played a big part today, it probably levelled it a bit, we didn’t get our usual fast-moving game going, but no small respect to Oughterard as well they played well.”
Templenoe had three clear cut goal-scoring chances, any of which if taken could have booked passage to Croke Park for the All Ireland final. Templenoe didn’t take any of them, however, and Oughterard did and sometimes football is that simple. “Absolutely,” he concurs. “A goal was always going to be the vital score and unfortunately it wasn’t us who got it. We were very comfortable throughout the game I thought until that incident, they got a goal and they tacked on a point straight away and we just didn’t get the chances to pull it back.”
Even when they were chasing the game at the end, the goal just wouldn’t come for Templenoe with Cian Hallissey being blocked out by the excellent Oughterard shot-stopper Jordan Waller and out for a forty five.
“Another day that would have gone in, but not today. Josh Holland had another chance I think that went across the goal as well, you know things like that will always happen.”
There was no shame in losing to that Oughterard side, who look to have what it takes to go on and claim the All Ireland title in a week and half’s time.
“Their workrate throughout the field was something to be admired in fairness to them and fair play to them,” Rice confirmed.
Even in the midst of this great disappointment it’s important to remember the remarkable journey Templenoe have been on and to remember the great season they’ve had.
“Not today obviously and we would have liked to have finished it out in Croke Park, but it is what it is,” Rice continued.
“We’ll regroup now again and we’re back in Division 2 now this year and we’ll have to work with that and we’re going to be playing in the senior club championship and the county championship for the first time ever as a senior club, which as a small rural parish is excellent.
“You never like losing, but you always have to pit yourself against the conditions and the opposition no matter who they are and today we came out second best out of that and that’s how it is. It was a kick of the ball at the end of the day between the teams and that’s what it was and we’ll plough on
again.”