Appeal saga 'took it out' of Loughrea's Killeen, says manager Kelly

The matter was ultimately settled by the DRA on Friday night. 

Cullen Killeen of Loughrea leaves the pitch after his side's defeat. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Loughrea manager Tommy Kelly said Cullen Killeen cut a “tired” figure out on the field following a month-long appeals saga that wasn’t resolved until just over 36 hours before throw-in in the All-Ireland club hurling decider.

Sent off at the end of their December 21 All-Ireland semi-final, Killeen’s red card, following unsuccessful attempts in front of the Central Hearings Committee and Central Appeals Committee, was quashed by the Disputes Resolution Authority on Friday midnight.

Man of the match in the win over Slaughtneil, the teenage midfielder managed no repeat showing here and was subbed off five minutes from time.

“There was an awful lot of talk around will he play, will he not play. I was delighted he got to play, but I think the kid was tired today,” said Kelly.

“He looked tired there in the second half, and I think it probably took an awful lot out of him. But he's a super, super guy, his attitude was just fantastic, and I couldn't speak any higher of Cullen or any of the Killeens or any of my players really, they're just fantastic men.” 

As well as a difficult build-up for the player himself, management also didn’t know until Friday midnight whether or not they’d have to redraw their preferred line-up.

“Yeah, listen, it wasn't ideal [preparation], definitely not ideal, but there's no excuses. We got the player we wanted to start in midfield. We had another plan B, and we spoke to that guy as well, two or three weeks out, and we were saying that he'll be in if [Cullen’s appeal was unsuccessful].” Despite doing so much right in the opening half, Loughrea’s continuous failing was their shooting efficiency. They struck eight first half wides, dropped a ninth short, and had two goal chances saved.

Against Ballygunner, that’s essentially writing your own obituary.

“I think we were down at 40-something percent in the first half for conversion. Yeah, left a lot of scores behind. We needed to build a lead if we were going to have any chance,” Kelly continued.

“We still felt we were in a good position at half-time, we were winning a lot of dirty ball. They definitely turned the screw on us in the second half a little bit. We have a bit of learning to do after that one today, we have to get up to an awful lot higher than where we are.

“Our scores probably tightened up definitely in the second half. When you're pressing for a game and you're trying to go forward and win a game, because we were brave, but when you are playing against an exceptional Ballygunner team, they're going to hit you on the counter-attack, and that goal at the start, that was a killer, it really was. It gave them breathing space.”