Anthony Cunningham's Roscommon future 'for another day'

11 June 2022; Roscommon manager Anthony Cunningham. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Anthony Cunningham declined to discuss his future as Roscommon manager after perhaps the most disappointing defeat of his four-year reign.

The former Galway hurling boss took the Rossies to the Super 8s in 2019 but they've failed to make it back to the All-Ireland quarter-final stage since.

"This is not about me," maintained Cunningham. "This is about the players now and the supporters and everybody that runs Roscommon football, everyone is disappointed and gutted, everybody from the bottom of their hearts wanted Roscommon to progress. We saw this game as a massive stepping stone for this team, we've been knocked back but I'm sure everyone will rise again."

But will Cunningham himself rise again with Roscommon?

"The question is to drive on and keep developing this team," he replied.

Does that mean he'll stay?

"Look it, we all love what we're doing and we give every ounce and piece of energy that we have," he said.

So the question of his position is for another day?

"It's obviously for another day."

Cunningham looked shellshocked immediately after the defeat. Trailing by four points at one stage late in the first-half, the Connacht finalists had wrestled back control of the game and led 1-17 to 1-12 with 68 minutes played. The concession of a 70th minute penalty was the fatal blow from Roscommon's perspective.

"I thought it was harsh enough being honest and it was a very difficult time to give away a penalty, we were cruising," said Cunningham. "We were a couple of points down and then played some great football to get back, some great attacking play, but at this level, or any level, you just can't give away a penalty at that time.

"It's very, very difficult to come back from it. We probably had a slight chance there at the finish to kick an equalising score or maybe work it in better. It's just really, really disappointing. I thought Clare were that bit sharper than us in the first-half but we fought back with some tremendous play in the second-half and went well ahead and then took our eye off the ball and it's hard to stop a slide when it starts."