At the moment we are not good enough, admits McIntyre

JOHN McINTYRE was, as ever, colourful in his comments. Remarking after a League defeat earlier in the year that he was not into ‘analysis by paralysis,’ he talked yesterday about his young Offaly team being ‘under the shadow of a black and amber umbrella,’ about them struggling ‘against a ferocious tide’ at present.

However, his statement that if his team had learned anything it was that they have to be able to compete ‘for longer’ in games, best summed up how this Leinster semi-final was decided.

“We’re all here to win. I think the final scoreline doesn’t do us much justice on the day,’’ he said. “It was great to have the Offaly supporters — for maybe 40 minutes — thinking the unthinkable was going to happen. Maybe the shock of the century.”

It didn’t happen because they were playing ‘a ruthless outfit’ which had an advantage in physique and, quite simply, were ‘extremely good’ at what they do.

“The longer the game was going on, the more we were suffering,’’ he added. “That didn’t mean we weren’t trying, I’d like to think the players didn’t throw in the towel or anything like that. But they (Kilkenny) are very experienced, they have great inner belief and they are driven by a ruthless manager. They do it so well, and it means so much to them. They’re driven, they’re savage competitors. As much as they’ve won, they want to win more and that is the essence of sport.”

McIntyre is adamant that his team is on a learning curve and while anybody who didn’t see the game might conclude that it was ‘another hiding for Offaly,’ at the end of the day they all ‘live and die’ by results.

“They are a great bunch of fellows who have done everything we have asked of them. They are proud to wear the Offaly jersey but we are battling against a ferocious tide at the moment. And there’s a black and amber umbrella casting a shadow over Leinster championship from our perspective, from Wexford’s perspective and Laois and Dublin’s perspective.

“At the moment we are not good enough — what do you do with that umbrella, close it or take it down,” he joked.

“Hope springs eternal and we showed for 35 minutes that there is talent in Offaly.

‘‘We have a long way to go, maybe all we have done today in terms of the championship is stop the haemorrhaging. At least now we can try and re-group for the championship and it’s still all there to be played for.

“And if we learned anything today is that we can compete, but we just have to compete for longer in matches.”