Fitzgerald blast for defence despite victory
“We conceded two goals again, which is very disappointing,” he said.
“Ballylanders scored 2-9, which was more than we should be conceding, and we’ll have to have a look at our defence ahead of the final.
“Having seen a video of the Limerick county final we knew it was going to be difficult. They were very fit, very committed and well able to play football. They got the perfect start but our lads showed great spirit in pulling that back.
“The fact that we came from behind twice in the game shows the character of our lads. Our experience was a crucial factor. We had the facility to step up a gear or two when the danger threatened and or attack was in excellent form.
“Peter Morgan’s goal was a massive fillip for us. We played extremely well in patches and got some great scores. Bringing on Mick Daly in the second half was a very good move. Even though he is moving on in years, he is vastly experienced, a great player on the ball and he certainly left his mark on the game.”
But Fitzgerald added: “You could see the long season is beginning to catch up on some players. We have been on the go now for three years and that is bound to take its toll.
“With just one more game before the break, hopefully the players have something left in the tank for it. It will be nice to get away from it for a while.”
Ballylanders coach Eamon O’Neill said that while accepting that Nemo Rangers were the better side, he was disappointed at the outcome.
“We got the start we had hoped we would, but you have to hand it to them, once they got on top, they were clinical and we were chasing the game for long periods.
“To be fair, the pace of the game was way above what we were used to. It’s a learning curve for us. We are a very young team, and if we learn from today’s game we’ll all the better for it.”
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