Behind the Leitrim Banner

Behind the Leitrim Banner

How frustrated our Minor and Senior players must feel this week, together with their Team Managers Enda Lyons and Sean Hagan, their selectors and backroom teams and everyone involved with the teams. Spare a thought too for the Coiste na nÓg and County Board officers who do so much un-acknowledged work in attempting to have every necessary facility provided for the team panels, as well as their busy and mundane work of administration of county and club activity.
Defeat is always a killer and God knows we are well used to it and we could fill retail units with “three cheers” and “hard luck lads”. The young Minor players feel particularly disappointed after the joy of capturing the Connacht Minor League, as most of them would also have tasted success at underage with their clubs and bitter defeat is not something they have grown up with. True, they did not play up to the form expected, but nobody could question their commitment in the build- up or on the day and we have to say Roscommon deserved their victory. We cannot allow such a talented bunch of players as these young Leitrim men to simply fade away from the inter-county scene.
Who honestly expected Leitrim to beat Down in Newry? But no blame can be apportioned to the players who took to the field there, they gave of their best against all the odds. And it must be said that Down did not attempt to do an Armagh on us, as we remember well from last year. They used their six subs, but the heart seemed to have been torn from the lads in the green and gold. Emlyn Mulligan led out a bunch of players who did not want to let the county and its supporters down and we salute Emlyn and his teammates for that.
So there’s lots of talking and debating to be done. One thing that must be done is for the supporters, sponsors, parents, families and clubs to avoid taking the easy path of criticism and to fall in behind the Leitrim banner again next year.
Eireoidh Liatroim arís.

 

 

04-Jul-14 by Leitrim GAA