Glenn Ryan: 'Mayo took their opportunity...we weren’t given ours'

Ryan also has praised his Kildare charges for responding positively to the heavy criticism in the county following their heavy Leinster final loss

Kildare Manager Glenn Ryan

Glenn Ryan has praised his Kildare charges for responding positively to the heavy criticism in the county following their heavy Leinster final loss to Dublin.

The former Lilywhite captain highlighted some of the commentary that was aimed at the players in the wake of the loss in which they conceded five first-half goals.

“These fellas have had a lot thrown at them over the last couple of weeks,” remarked Ryan. “Certain derogatory tweets by people in our own county and our own media. Doesn’t help. It doesn’t help these fellas get over it.

“Sure, Jesus, it was a horrible place for these lads to be in. But from the night we came back, their resolve is something you have to really admire.

“Ultimately, we’ll all be judged on results and what it is we win. But there’s certain human qualities you like to see in people and these fellas have shown those qualities that you like and admire in abundance.

"All the focus will be on the results. But as a group, we’d like to make sure that there’s certain standards that we maintain and no matter what certain people throw, we continue to do it. I thought that was a very honest display tonight. And that was what they wanted to do this evening, as well as win the game.” 

Expanding on his comments, Ryan mentioned that local media had been harsh in their analysis of the team against Dublin. 

“You certainly don’t like to see it from your own quarters (from) people who are looking for interviews and for those people to turn around and do it.

“But unfortunately, it’s part of society now. I suppose the best way I’ve found to deal with it is to not look at it. But that shouldn’t be the focus. The focus should be on the great effort we put in, even if it wasn’t good enough to get us over the line.” Ryan criticised the decision by referee Derek O’Mahoney to punish Ben McCormack for a direct pick-up when it appeared he was pulled back in the large parallelogram by Oisín Mullin.

Speaking first about Mullin’s goal 12 minutes later, he said: “I would say the goal that they got was probably at a stage when I thought we were defending very well, and we defended that situation very well. We had it half-stopped, and it seemed to just be a half a break from… a half-broken tackle, I think. It had opened up, where we had chased it very well. That came at a crucial stage.

"I would say we had an opportunity down the far end for a penalty, where not only was a penalty not given but there was a free given against Ben McCormack for picking the ball up off the ground, which clearly wasn’t the case.

“So you put those two things together, there’s always big stages in games. Mayo took their opportunity to change the momentum of the game, and we weren’t given ours.”