Having a go at Gooch is hard to swallow

CRITICISM is part of the game and it is something that never unduly bothered me, but there was a poisonous tinge to the critique of Colm Cooper’s display in last Sunday’s Munster final in one national paper.

The piece sought to suggest that Dr Crokes’ defeat to Nemo was a reality check for Gooch, who no longer had the stomach for the battle as a result of being feted at his testimonial.

It was a cheap shot at a player who never stepped back from a battle and who would never be anything less than focused on his job.

Sometimes you just do not play well and sometimes you just get beaten by a better team, which Nemo Rangers were last Sunday.

All that is fair analysis, but it takes some joining of the dots to link a poor performance on the pitch to a dinner eaten last month, which evidently some who did not even attend have still some trouble digesting.