Kelly feeling the pain of defeat

By Jim O’Sullivan

Monday, September 07, 2009

EIGHT years ago he was in the winner’s dressing room when Tipperary celebrated All-Ireland glory under the management of Nicky English.

So, for Eoin Kelly, the ordeal of losing yesterday’s final is something he never wants to go through again.

"Believe me, it is horrible. You never want to be there again," he said.

But, just like Liam Sheedy, he has no doubt that the bitter experience of yielding victory to a team which made better use of their goal chances provides a powerful motivation to come back next year and be winners.

"These are the games you want to be successful in. No one will remember you for losing,’’ he said. "The only positive we can take out of this is that we are a young team. We are bitterly disappointed, but when you have county board that’s united with a management team and that’s united with a squad of 35 players, you are on the right road.

"We’re hoping that we’ll learn from our mistakes and that we’ll drive on, that come January we’ll knuckle down and prepare for the 2010 championship equally as we did for this one and last year’s one."

Explaining that he slipped before mis-hitting a great goal chance nine minutes into the second half, Kelly agreed the loss of this opportunity, added to the save made by PJ Ryan just after the resumption, was crucial. "We probably got two goal chances. PJ made two very good saves and down at the other end of the field they probably got two clear-cut goal chances.

"They took their goals and won by five points. That was the difference."

Referring again to Kilkenny taking their goal chances, he said: "You just have to compliment them. They made history today. In every way they fought and battled hard. None of them complained. It was a good hard, physical game."

In describing their approach to the game, he insisted that the Tipp squad had "massive belief" in their ability to win, saying it was based on what they had done in training not just over the summer but over the past 18 months. "It had us geared towards big-game performances. That belief was there. We were in a great position at half-time. It had been neck-and-neck and there was only two points in it. We hadn’t them ‘opened up’ in defence, but we had scores got. We went three points up in the second half. Looking back, it was a pity we didn’t go to four. Kilkenny, with their experience, came up the field, got their penalty, scored it. They got a quick goal after that using the man in the best position. You have to say well done.’’

And, he promises the same bond will limit the collateral damage which Benny Dunne is likely to suffer as a result of his sending off. "No one will be pointing fingers,’’ he said.

"We stuck together for the last 18 months. And, we’re going to stick together for the next 12 months until we get that ultimate prize which deserted us there today.’’

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, September 07, 2009