Milltown selector bemoans lack of time for clubs to settle in senior championship

IT was easy to relate to the disappointment of Milltown selector Mike Carroll. Having worked so hard to establish themselves at Senior level, the Mid Kerry side now face the challenge of doing it all over again, in a system which he feels is far from perfect.

“Very disappointing to drop down to Intermediate, but in a once off battle anything can happen. Kilcummin just shaded it today, they seemed to have more hunger, and the goal, I suppose, was a big turning point. We gave them a six-point start, six points in six minutes, and you can’t do that if you are fighting for survival to win a Championship game.

“They were really up for it, and I suppose so were we as well, you know in a knock-out the winner takes it all. Anything can happen at the end of the day, the goal, when we turned over possession, was crucial, and you can’t make those mistakes.”

Regarding the present structure of the Championships Carroll said: “We were just discussing it there during the week. Even if you come up from Intermediate now you’re straight away into a ‘no safety net situation’. You have to win your first game in the Club (Championship) the following year, or else you are back into a quagmire of relegation.

“I don’t think in fairness it gives time to clubs. There should be something, a period, a building period. There are strong clubs, like Stacks, O’Rahillys, Crokes, all those, and if you want to compete with them you can’t do it overnight.

“Obviously there’s massive disappointment in the dressing room, we fought our case through the year, it wasn’t enough. I mean we are in a transition period.

“Out of the panel of thirty-two that won the All-Ireland (Intermediate 2012) there was only eleven available to us today, that’s the way it is. We will knuckle down, regroup, and come again.”