Barry proud of his charges despite failure to hit heights
GLEN Emmets manager Kevin Barry admitted his team under-performed in making their exit from Leinster last Saturday - but then launched into a passionate defence of their achievements in 2017.
First and foremost there was disappointment at failing to build on the first-round victory over Conaghy Shamrocks, although Barry wasn’t using the sending-off of top scorer James Butler as an excuse for the three-point defeat at the hands of Meath Hill.
‘We didn’t play to the level we expected to. It was poor actually, being honest with you, and I think the better team won over the 60/65 minutes,’ he began.
‘It’s about decision-making at the end of the day and we didn’t take the right decisions, and our discipline let us down as well.
‘We both had a man sent off, but at the end of the day we had our chances and didn’t take them, and that was the long and short of it.
‘At the start of the second half we couldn’t dictate the tempo, we weren’t getting our hands on the ball and we weren’t moving the ball quick enough. If we don’t do that, ultimately we’re playing into their hands.
‘Against the breeze they played the clock very, very well and experience probably told for them.’
Asked about the red cards for James Butler and Meath Hill’s Simon Martin, Barry continued: ‘I’m sure if you ask Meath Hill they’d say exactly the same, that they think it was harsh. Only the linesman or the referee can tell you what it was for - but I didn’t see it myself personally.’
Over the hour, Barry was left with the feeling of an opportunity missed - although having to deal with the tail end of Storm Brian didn’t help.
‘I think we were confident of beating them. We had the players, but the conditions went away from us in the last couple of days and we would have liked a drier pitch.
‘We still could have won that game and the lads would probably say themselves that they should have won it.’
Taking the year as a whole, though, Glen Emmets have probably exceeded their expectations by winning the Louth Junior Championship and retaining their Division 2 status, and Barry insisted the current squad should take the credit.
‘It’s been a great season. A lot of people both within the county and outside the county doubted us, and even in Tullyallen people doubted us. Well, do you know something. We’ve a championship there that a lot of people didn’t think we could win.
‘People should remember that the team of 2017 won the championship. It wasn’t the team of 2016. A lot of people went on about 2016 - bull****.’