McEntee: ‘I don’t know if you can turn it around in a week’

MANAGER Andy McEntee tried to put a brave face on it after this horrendous display in the first round of the NFL, but deep down the Nobber native will know that a couple more displays like that will leave Meath sliding towards the relegation trapdoor.

‘You concede three goals, you’re going to struggle to win any game, particularly a game at this level,’ McEntee said.

‘I think we had four goal chances and we didn’t take any of them; they had four and they took three of them. That’s ultimately was the difference. When we went forward with a bit of pace and a bit of purpose we caused them trouble, but we didn’t take our chances. Four goal chances, I think a reasonable claim for a penalty shout, maybe two, so I suppose if you don’t take chances you’re going to pay the price.’

He did admit that his side were seriously exposed defensively. ‘Yeah, they were exposed. I think the quality of ball that was going into the Kildare full-forward line was good. There wasn’t enough pressure put on out the field to make it a 50-50 ball, it was always a forward’s ball. That inside line they have gave us a lot of trouble.

‘We intended to have a little bit more pressure on the ball. That didn’t happen for one reason for another. I’d need to sit down and look at the video - I’m not going to name anybody. I’d need to see where that happened, but it looked like they were coming forward a little bit too easily.

‘When we put the squeeze on them and turned over a bit of ball...but again, that workrate just has to be higher all over the place.’

He did admit that he didn’t see it coming, at least the concession of three goals.

‘As I say, the goals really killed us. I didn’t see that coming. We realised that their inside forward line are fairly potent, we tried to prevent good quality ball going in there, but we didn’t do that. They put good ball in there pretty much consistently throughout the game.’

McEntee now faces a big challenge ahead of the game against Derry next Sunday.

‘Look, every game is important, every two points is important. It’s a really competitive league. That’s two points gone - you forget about it and get onto the next game really.

‘The chances are everyone can beat each other, but really it’s about us. We’ve got to focus on what we can do right and what we’re doing wrong and deal with it fairly urgently.

‘I don’t know if you can turn it around in a week. I had no complaints about attitude or anything like that. You would have felt lads were ready coming into the game and then it pans out like that. You kind of wonder where it went wrong.

‘A couple of goals changes the face and the run of the game altogether. I think we had a legitimate claim for a penalty, they go down the other end and stick it in the net. There’s a six-point swing straightaway.

‘There were three points in it at half-time if he gets that. But when the clock starts ticking and you find yourself three goals behind the game then tends to lose a bit of shape and you have to take a chance a little bit. Some of their scores looked fairly routine at the end,’ McEntee concluded. Kildare Fermanagh Galway Cork Derry Clare Down Meath PW 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 D 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 L 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 F 26 19 14 14 11 11 10 16 A 16 10 14 14 11 11 19 26 Pt 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 NO fewer than seven St Colmcille’s players were on the Loreto Balbriggan team who were crowned Leinster Junior Schools champions following an impressive victory over Bunclody FCJ on Thursday last.

Loreto had progressed through to the decider after impressive victories over Foxrock Cabinteely and then Scoil Mhuire Trim in the semi-final and last week’s match was played in front of a lively crowd of supporters from both schools.

Loreto were captained by Cille’s girl Hannah Connell who put in a trojan performance at midfield. Her mobility and determination played a massive role in this momentous win, while her clubmate Teagan Gordon at corner forward was also hugely influential and was the creator of many scores.

The defence dealt well with a determined Bunclody forward line who placed huge pressure on the Loreto goalmouth at times and a special mention goes to Maeve Bogan who pulled off an exceptional penalty save to ensure Loreto went in ahead at half-time.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Loreto edged clear with a hat-trick of goals from Aoife O’Conner and superb free-taking from Katelyn O’Brien - all led by the driving forces of Megan Benson and Hannah Connell in midfield.

Player of the Match was awarded to Chloe Johnston for her immense efforts in defence, while Hannah Connell graciously accepted the cup on behalf of an elated Loreto side.

The match proved to be a brilliant spectacle, showcasing the incredible array of young footballers present in the surrounding area and the strides ladies football is making in the locality.

Principal of Loreto Anne Marie McDonough (St Colmcille’s) was thrilled with the Leinster success. She underlined the importance of sport and participation in the lives of secondary school students and stressed the enjoyment which accompanies sport.