Hard work as numbers don’t add up for DLS

JIMMY Barry-Murphy’s late father, John Barry, or John B as he was affectionately known in his club St Finbarr’s, had a saying when describing heavy defeats suffered by his club: “They were too numerous for us.”

Looking down from on high at the first half in yesterday’s AIB All-Ireland club SHC final I couldn’t help but feel that Portumna were just too numerous for an outplayed De La Salle outfit in a very one-sided game.

The Waterford club side opted to play against the breeze, having won the toss. De La Salle played their Waterford inter-county wing-back Brian Phelan as a holding player in front of their centre-back but the ploy didn’t work, as Portumna cleverly played their half-forward line deep, out around the middle of the field.