Offaly manager praises the effort of his players after a year of progress
Johnny Kelly reflects on a good year for Offaly and the lessons to be learned for the future
IT was a tough day at the office for Offaly hurlers against Cork on Sunday but when manager Johnny Kelly reflected on the game afterwards he was keen to praise the efforts of his players and look to the future with confidence.
He said their worst fears were realised with Cork's flying start but emphasised that this was a young Offaly team and said it was important to learn the lessons from this game.
The manager had just spoken to his players before speaking to the press and he said he “just thanked them for their efforts all year and not just this year but the year gone by and the year before that and previously, and you know they've been on a journey. They're a very young team, there's lots to learn from today and while they'll be disappointed today not to let it bother them too much.
“Obviously it's something that they'll have to go through, a very young team as I said and sometimes you get a kick in the shin like that and you have to be able to take it and learn from it and go again,” the manager said.
Offaly needed a good start but instead it was Cork who struck for an early goal. “The last thing we wanted to do was concede early, everyone spoke about that during the week and you can plan for this and you can talk about it and you can do all that and you can do all the prep for it and you know when it happens it happens and unfortunately it happened really early. We didn't want it to happen but it did and from there we were under a bit of pressure but you have to experience these things before you can go the other side of it, it's not going to happen overnight so it is what it is.
“We just have to be thankful for the year we had, be thankful that we have everyone fit and everyone is healthy afterwards and yeah we'll get the wagons in the ring and go again.”
The season has been one with an upward trajectory for Offaly so that's got to be seen as progress? “It is progress, look it doesn't feel like that today obviously, but I mean for us we had ambitions at the start of the year. You know it's limited resources in Offaly, we don't have the population base as many of the other top counties that we're competing with but everyone in Offaly is absolutely doing their best. There's no one not putting their shoulders on the wheel, everyone has the right intentions, players, county board, backroom team management, they're all putting some effort in and you know what, I have to thank all those people as well for getting us here today.
“But look as I said we have to go away now and lick out wounds and take a bit of a break for a while and see what next year brings,” Johnny said.
All of Offaly's worst fears were realised in the first half? “Basically, you can talk about it and you can set up and you can be motivated but we did realise we were coming up against a top level team here and again, as I said, something that these players wouldn't have experienced up until now so again it's done now it's under the belt and I suppose to go away now from that and try to ensure that that never happens again.”
He was asked what the areas of improvement they needed to be looking at to bridge the gap? “Well it's your physicality like and powerful running like we saw there today like I mean how powerful Cork are when they run at you. We all talk about the rules and the handpass, and they transfer the ball so quickly between each other, set up three v twos and they get out and they're clinical in everything they do.
“It's that power and pace that we have to get to, we have the players we have. The body type of these guys, they are what they are, we've got to get them stronger, fitter. Pace is a huge part of this game. If you're lacking pace in a certain area of the field you'll get exposed here so sometimes we have to do our best to disguise that or to you know to cover it up but overall I think everyone is putting their shoulder to the wheel and trying to learn as best they can.
“They had their target men on the inside line and they got some high ball in there and actually the damage was if you push up, then their running game comes into it and they break in space and collect it. They have it everywhere and for us it was a matter of which is the lesser of two evils as we went on during the game like so look it is what it is, we did everything within our power to address that, but look these are the days that are sobering but you move on and you get over quickly and put a plan in place for next year.”
Offaly hurling is on an upward trajectory and has been making upward strides from the time they dropped to the Christy Ring Cup and this young team showed good character in fighting to the end and they are bridging the gap.
“Yeah they are and let's be fair, I don't want to be like everyone else saying how far back we were and where they've come but that is the reality of it. They have come on a bit of a journey. I think the starting team there was basically nine of the under 20s starting today, so they are quite young and the younger guys are quite disappointed in there but like they have nothing to be disappointed about.
“The overriding feeling for me is that they we didn't want it to work out this way but it's something that they've experienced now and they have to try and use it going forward and hopefully it'll be a springboard for more success in the future,” Johnny added.
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How would you assess the year as a whole kind of from where you come from the league through the championship?
“People would say that it was a good year for Offaly. It's been a really testing year from a number of different areas. Obviously we had illness within the camp, we had injuries within the camp very young team that's expected to play league games week in week out, which clashes with the third level education. There were times there you're wondering would you have 26 for a game at the start of the year so we have to work really hard at that period of time and you know the league was quite difficult. We had some good performances but overall I'd say a good enough year but one that certainly does test every sinew in management and players and the like so we keep doing our best and hopefully the supporters see that and continue to follow this team.”
The manager had great praise for the supporters this year and the way they stayed on until the end of the game on Sunday.
“It's brilliant to see that and I'm very thankful for so many well wishes afterwards. They didn't go home early, they stayed there to the end and you know I saw so many of them giving those young players from Offaly a hug and giving them a lift and you know they'll need it now more than ever. I'd like to thank the supporters from Offaly, it's great to see them coming back again.”
When it was put to him that his language indicated that was ready to continue with Offaly again next year, he laughed and said “I have no idea where I'm going next week. Absolutely I have no idea. I have to get away from it for a while myself now. I'll just get a break and see. I really genuinely haven't even thought what's the way to go forward now yet, so we'll wait and see.”
He said it was a taxing year and management was a tough job.
“It isn't easy, there's a huge amount of time goes into this. There's lots of talk in the GAA about amateurs and amateur organisation and I can tell you this for nothing this is not amateur what we do and the same for Ben O'Connor, it's the same for Brian Lohan, this is bloody hard work, and you know what about it, we get on with it and we drive on,” he concluded.