Cooney very proud of his players’ performance

Jack Cooney, Coralstown/Kinnegad coach, felt his players did enough to be much closer at half-time and that could have made for a different second half in last Sunday's Westmeath SFC final.

“In the first 15 minutes we created lots of chances - I think we had 13 chances in the first half and scored a point; we dropped four shots short. Probably just a little bit more experience and composure in certain areas of the pitch in the first 15 minutes and we could have been closer at half-time, and maybe been able to control the game a little bit more in the second half. But they're very, very young and they're only learning,” he observed.

“It wasn't high scoring; it was tight, it was close and it was tit for tat near the end. We got off to a good start in the second half and I would say it was a real battling championship game.”

Each time his side got level in the second half, St Loman’s found a response.

“In fairness, they came down and kicked a couple of good scores and we were saying that to the lads at half-time - once we get possession, if we're smart and we work it through the phases and work it through the lines, you’ll get a chance to get a score,” he said.

Cooney feels the experience will stand to the team.

“The lads are very disappointed, they really, really wanted to win it, but I think there are huge learnings in it for us today. There's a massive learning curve and sometimes, you know, when you just reflect back on something, even in the short space of time since the game, lads realise that they were really good enough to win it.

"They were really good enough, so you can talk about it all you want and tell them that they are good enough to win it, but it's only when they realise that themselves, they'll be better for it,” he remarked.

“It was down to small margins and the break of a ball here and there and look, we were hoping if we kept it tight coming down the straight that we might come with a big push towards the end. A couple of shots just didn't go our way and maybe just a couple of things didn't go to hand, but you can't fault the lads for effort.

“To settle themselves at half-time and come back out and get the start that they did and make a really good contest of it and even though it was low scoring, I think the entertainment value was good because it was a very honest effort from both sides.

“We had four under 19s starting today, so that's great experience for them and there's a lot of lads in there disappointed that they didn't get a run, and rightly so. We just didn’t get the opportunity; the momentum was with us and then coming down the stretch, you know, we try to bring in lads then to try and get us closer, to get us over the line.

“But they're a great bunch of young fellas now and they're tight and you know we'll celebrate the year tonight together and that's important, because they spent a lot of time with each other this year and it's important that they recognize that now this evening and have a come together.

“We've been telling them all along there's no substitute for playing. When you're at it, go at it and be honest and give it everything you can because you'll be long enough looking back on your career wishing you were back at it. When you're at it, give it everything.

“There will be young fellas coming up through the years, coming up through the underage teams and they’ll want their chance. And it's very important that we help them and build a future for the club; that's more important.”

Cooney admitted there are big demands on club players nowadays and the sacrifice is huge.

“When you start calling in the early part of next year then you'll see. We'll sit down and we'll see. Football is not a five or six months of the year thing now.

“You need to be looking after yourself all year round because club football at a certain level is really catching up with inter county. It's that holistic view of how lads look after themselves in the offseason and do a little bit of prep work and a little bit of development work, and the lads will need it, and they know they need it and they'll be better for it,” he said.

Cooney felt Sunday’s final was a positive occasion for club football in the county.

“I think everything contributed to that. I think the referee contributed to it; I think the supporters contributed to it; it was a nice fine day and both sets of players contributed to it.

“I think it was a very sporting, honest battle and it was a really, really good kind of reflection on both teams and on the Westmeath Senior Football Championship,” he opined.