One of those games and one of those days where you are not sure where the match report should go.
With the first 10 minutes of such total domination that we should have been 4-0 up? With the fine performance of the Nenagh boys even when under huge pressure from Park? Or with the ref?
We won’t go too far with the ref, other than to question the wisdom of having a local referee managing a National Cup game. This ref was as poor as they come to say the least.
Park started brilliantly, playing outstanding football, inspired by Thomas Burke, Dylan Casey and Michael Slattery. Inside the first 9 nine minutes we had hit the post twice, missed a headed opportunity from a foot out and put ourselves one up through the brilliance of Burke, Slattery and a superb headed finish from Niall Sertutxa.
Straight from the resultant kick off Nenagh attacked and when the ball went a yard wide our boys switched off. The Nenagh lads kept playing and put the ball in the net much to the bemusement of the Park defence. Bemusement turned to astonishment when the local ref allowed the goal.
Unfortunately we allowed this, and subsequent decisions, to upset out rhythm and the Nenagh lads exploited this to the full. We dropped our intensity levels and Nenagh dominated in Midfield and overall played better football. We were giving the ball away too easily and our energy levels were not at our usual levels.
When we lost the ball in midfield near the end of the first half the Nenagh boys took the chance with ruthless efficiency and went in 2-1 up at the break.
A few personnel and positional changes at half time helped us gain control of the game again although Nenagh continued to threaten on the break. Indeed but for some excellent saves by Gearoid Fitzgerald we might have been out of the game earlier than we were.
Sean Carmody and James Rusk were now in midfield and competing strongly but, truth be told, we created very little to worry the Nenagh keeper. Dylan Casey and Dan Goggin worked their socks off but even then we couldn’t trouble a well organised Nenagh defence.
Nenagh got their final goal on the break with the last kick of the game. It was an excellent example of unselfish team play and ruthless finishing.
We tried our best, no doubt about that. But we lost our focus and ended up looking like a far poorer team than we are.
Time to reflect now and take lessons from this that will stand to the boys and their managers into the future. They are an excellent bunch of young men who have the ability and, we hope, the resolve to go on and win county honours during the coming months. Obviously outstanding teams like League favourites Listowel and Killarney Celtic, our local rivals Dynamos with some great players, and newcomers Mastergeeha will ask us plenty of tough questions but today’s lesson should stand us in good stead.
Thanks to the parents who travelled on the bus with us and others who made the game on their own steam.
Thanks also to Nenagh AFC who provided us with excellent facilities and food and were gentle on us in defeat. Best of luck to them in the rest of the competition.
Training Tuesday night at 7.40pm.
Park panel: Gearoid Fitzgerald, James Rusk, Sean Carmody, Matt Lukco, Dylan Casey, Adam Ward, Dan Goggin, Michael O’Gara, Kevin Browne, Thomas Burke, Conor Higgins, Raul Vnczel, Niall Sertutxa, Jake Deering, Michael Slattery.
Report by Pat Carmody .
