Micko: ‘Surely to God, there’s more fire and spirit left in ye’

LAOIS travelled to Croke Park yesterday with a lot of people wondering about their ability to match last year’s heroics, their own supporters included. By half-time, the same questions were being asked yet again.

What a difference 35 minutes can make. Their swagger returned in that second period against Meath, even if most will reserve judgment on Mick O’Dwyer’s side until they stretch their legs beyond the provincial borders. No matter. They proved their hunger and ability to those that mattered most yesterday. Themselves. “I said to them at half-time, what the hell were we doing in the first half?” O’Dwyer explained. “I said, surely to God, there’s more fire and spirit left in ye. In fairness, they produced it in the second half with some outstanding football.”

Colm Parkinson was one of the few who can look back on the entire 70 minutes with a glowing satisfaction, but, good as he was on the day, he was never going to win the game on his own.