‘It’s going to take a while for us to get over this’

PAUL CAFFREY tried to but a brave face on it but there is only so much hurt a man can endure — more so when that man is the manager of the Dublin footballers.

Last year he stood in these same corridors shellshocked after his team imploded spectacularly leaving Mayo slip past them and into an All-Ireland Final.

Yesterday there were no such complaints. Indeed it looked like Dublin were to do to Kerry what the westerners did to them when they produced a surging late comeback which forced the champions to dig deep into their reserves of spirit, strength and experience.

And in a way that made the loss all the harder to take.

It is one thing to lose playing poorly, but playing to the best of your ability and still coming up short....well, let’s allow Pillar explain how that feels: “Disappointed wouldn’t come any where near how we feel in our dressing room right now,” he admitted.

“It’s a heartbroken, devastated dressing room in there at the minute, and it’s going to take a while for us to get over this defeat.

“Dublin at times out there today were simply magnificent. The players have been tremendous ambassadors for the county. They put in a huge effort not just today but all season, and they came off Croke Park knowing they had put everything into winning. But it wasn’t to be.

“We the management team are ferociously proud of each and every one of them and the way they handled themselves. They gave it their all and I couldn’t ask for any more than that.”

Asked about the goal chance that wasn’t taken, Caffrey replied, that it was up to the media to analysis and break it down whatever way they see fit.

“Our good wishes are now with Kerry. They proved themselves magnificent champions. They are back in another All-Ireland final and they are trying to achieve something that hasn’t been done in 17 years and win back to back titles. The good wishes of the Dublin dressing room go to Kerry today in their quest to retain the All-Ireland. It won’t be easy, but they know that.”

It is easy to understand why Caffrey was so proud of his team. They found themselves six points adrift in the second half but thundered back into the game and managed to reduce the deficit to the minimum.

“All sorts of emotions run through your head when you are on the sideline and seeing how well your team is playing but their recovery didn’t surprise me.

“Our players are very well drilled. They know what they have to do. They showed commendable character to hang in there when the game went against us in both halves, but I can’t fault them for coming up that bit short in the end.

“It was disappointing that the second half started so badly for us, but you have to give the credit to Kerry for that. In contrast their start was magnificent. That’s sport for you.

“It’s not about five or 10 minute spells, it’s about how you play over the whole game. We were in there right to the end and it’s a heartbreaking tale for us to come up that bit short on the day.”

Caffrey refused to make any comment on his future plans.