Cry for help follows football cat-astrophe

KILKENNY senior football coach Dick Mullins has called for more help for his team following Sunday’s drubbing by Offaly in the O’Byrne Cup.

“We are out of our depth competing in the senior grade. Kilkenny football needs to be playing at a level where we stand at least a 50/50 chance of winning,” he said.

“Twelve months ago we played Athlone IT in the O’Byrne Cup and won by two points which was a huge confidence booster going into the next round against Laois.

“Unfortunately we were beaten by 25 points and were back where we started. Drawing Offaly in the first round of this year’s competition did nothing for our confidence and we took another heavy defeat last Sunday.

“To be fair to the players, 23 made themselves available for Sunday’s match and I couldn’t fault them for effort, but we were out of our depth.

“There is a very good standard of club football in the county, and the county board spares no expense in promoting the game, but the level we are competing at is too high for us.”

Kilkenny don’t play in the Leinster senior football championship, opting instead to compete at junior level, and that grade has also proved beyond them in recent years. Last year they met Meath in the provincial championship and were well beaten by the Royal County who went on to lose the All-Ireland final to Cork.

The 2006 championship draws have pitted the same two counties against each other again, but Mullins is optimistic about Kilkenny’s chances.

“If we could get some quality preparation for the game I would be reasonably confident of a result. However we have one game left in the O’Byrne Shield - for teams who are beaten in the first round of the cup - against Dublin IT Sunday and if we lose that we won’t play competitively again until the Leinster championship in May.

“As a squad of players we need to play more matches at a level where we have an even chance of success. There is no substitute for winning, it breathes confidence and encourages players to continue training.

“Next Sunday we play DIT in the O’Byrne Shield in Freshford and I’m confident we can get a result. It’s the future I’m more concerned about.”

At a time when there is a huge push on to promote hurling in the weaker counties, a South East league involving the junior teams of Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and Carlow might be a starting point to help football in those counties.