JOHN KIELY COULD not mask his disappointment in Nowlan Park last night.
His young Limerick side pushed Kilkenny to the wire but saw their summer ultimately come to a halt at the opening stages of the qualifiers.
“It’s just very, very difficult to accept that we’ve come out of the championship without a win. We’ve so much work put into this, it’s off the charts. It’s very hard to take.
“I’m sure the wider consensus was the draw was a tough draw but it was actually just the game we wanted. This group needed a watershed game, just to really put the thing into a corner and that there was nowhere else to go only to produce a performance.
“Everything went great for us now coming into here. I think in that first 35 minutes, we’d something like 12 wides.
“We created loads of chances and were possibly even too direct with the ball. We didn’t play it through the lines a bit.
“But at the same time our work rate was good, our battling qualities were good. Again just like a lot of the games this year, we were chasing the game and couldn’t get our noses in front and that has been the biggest problem we’ve had all year.
“We haven’t just lead from the front in the games that mattered most and put pressure on the other teams to attack as opposed to defend.
“All those teams have had the opportunity to defend in the numbers in the final minutes of the game when it matters most where if they’re on the forward foot, were able to defend when it matters most.
“I’m really proud of the guys and the effort they put in and the performance they put in. They showed massive grit and determination.”
Kiely refused to buy into the theory that last night was a positive in challenging last year’s All-Ireland finalists so strongly.
It’s a results business.
“They got a performance in spades but moral victories are no use whatsoever. Losing by three, losing by two doesn’t matter. When you lose, you lose.
“We just couldn’t find that chink to get a goal chance. Some of their defending was heroic in the last 10 minutes. They defended really really well.
“Any smell of a chance that we got, they were able to snuff it out. Just by the skin of their teeth mind you but they got there and that’s the sign of the team they are.
“I think we really tested their mettle. They know they’ve been in a game for sure.”
I’ve always been a big fan of Roy Keane and defended him during many footballing debates with people over the years but he should have left that part out of his dig at Walters. It was more than enough to slag off his lack of medals without bringing his family into it. In hindsight it seems Keane got caught up in the moment, felt good about getting a laugh from the crowd and went too far. Looking back I’d say he regrets that comment but at the same time there are too many people suffering with mental health issues that it was unacceptable to have a go at Walters for his tv interview about his family issues. Maybe it’s now Keane that should lay low for a while.
@Glenn Harman: if Keane had a brain he would regret lots of things
@Glenn Harman: I doubt Keane regrets anything. He knew exactly what he was saying. He is a bitter angry man. His comments were Trumpesqe in their nature the way he tried to belittle Walters. The sad thing was that the muppets in the crowd lapped it up and no one from offtheball saw fit yo pull him up.
@Glenn Harman: well said.
@Glenn Harman: stop fecking fighting everyone Roy, just surrender and smile
@Glenn Harman:
Roy has a personality disorder.
It helped, in some respects, as a player but is no good to him anymore.
He needs to control it or prepare for longer periods of isolation and loneliness.
Some would say he’s just a mouth but that would be a bit simple and unfair.
@Kevin: the irony is Walters seems to have done really well out of it and guess what he is doing lots and lots of interviews.
@Glenn Harman: He is a knob head always will and always has been…..he walked out of a world cup finals throwing a tantrum because Fergie wanted him back for united…..if he done that in any other country he would be an outcast for it….this is just another example of what he is all about.
@Glenn Harman: I have always had great time for Keane but he needs to man up know and apologise to Walter’s who gave everything he had to the Jersey and we would have been list without him there for a few years.
@Glenn Harman: Keane has always been a egotistical self obsessed bully boy with no class whatsoever. A bitter and angry man who didn’t had any success in life after he hang up his boots and even as a footballer he is much overrated.
Mocking other people over a tragedy or mental health issues is another low though!
It‘s strange how this traitor to his own country is still held in such high regard!
What did Roy Keane ever do for Ireland apart from abandoning ship when the going got tough?
@m flynsk: he first and foremost is your average school yard bully!
No class whatsoever and a thick knob on and off the pitch!
@Matt Beaumont: Matt just replying to the football side of your comment. Roy Keane was not overrated. He was a world class football player and that cant be questioned because he done it (medals etc). As for what did he do for Ireland. Did you watch the qualifying campaign for 2002 world cup? His performances against holland/portugal were top top drawer.
@Glenn Harman: Keane is a bully. I’ve stood up for him when I believed he was being harshly treated. But he is a sad old man angry and unfulfilled and willing to stick it to anyone who doesn’t see it his way
Whether it was harsh or not, the simple truth is, is he said it. And nobody at the time, either on the stage or in the crowd, stepped up to challenge it.
It’s the world we live in.
@Eoin Nolan: the lads were scared of him. There’s an untouchable vibe when it comes to Keane. He commanded the stage. It seemed to feed off on Neville who got v cocky and had a go at Joe Molloy. Some of it was v unnecessary. I like Keane and he had the presence and delivery if a good stand up comic but some of his carry on was quite narcissistic. The looks he gives I wouldn’t have pulled him up either.
@Eoin Nolan: yeah the world we live in indeed….this article is basically a fairly low profile ex player that has been signed up to help promote Eir Sports Packages -jumps on the Roy Keane media coverage bandwagon to justify getting a whole article out of a disagreement that has nothing to do with him at all but he is happy to air in public….and the sheeple start jumping all over Roy Keane again…..the world we live in indeed.
@Eoin Nolan: challenge what?? FFS, is everyone and everything beyond criticism. What he said was shite but it was said. We arent in a school playground.
@Bruce Van der Gutschmitzer: stop defending the talking heads of newstalk – they inherited that show let’s not forget – second captains are the original off the ball – Keane and Neville achieved the dream and won everything domestically.
@Dave Hammond: fanboy much?
Really enjoy otb but they conducted a shocking show on the night. Got cowered by Neville putting them in there box and failed to challenge anything Keane said after that. Should have pulled him on the Walters stuff for sure. Also should have been challenged on the fact he still thinks he’s capable of management…laughable.
@Paul Crampsie: the Walters stuff? How many things did he say that were wrong or untrue?
@Paul O Mahony: seen it on YouTube, not sure why everyone is getting so carried away, this article mentioned more about Walters personal life than I ever knew, Keane just mentioned the word “family” i think people may be taking it totally out of context because Keane is box office…. The audience seemed like a pack of clowns tho, laughing and jeering at every word was cringe..
@Paul O Mahony: why say it at all Paul, Walters went on TV talking about family circumstance…etc, standard chat show fair. Also gets blasted for being injured and not winning enough…like the majority of pro footballers everywhere. Keane ran to the media post Saipan(book and tv) when it suited him and constantly pulled sickies with Ireland only to be available for United next match( post World Cup play off v Iraq). He has zero self awareness which is why he has never developed as a person or manager.
Did keane not just state a fact to be fair. 100% true what he said. John Walters spent more time doing interviews than playing football. Look if you want decent lad who sit and have chat about your problems and life John may well be the man. If you want someone to drag you through the muck to reach your goals and then push you a little more roys the man. Hell of alot more ppl we should be looking at for inspiration before we head to Irish soccer team.
@Doire: someone who deliberately breaks a fellow professional‘s leg is a disrespectful knob. He is a bully and a traitor and shouldn’t be given any more attention!
An overrated knob jockey with a dubious character!
Legend, me hole maybe for Utd but certainly not for Ireland!
@Matt Beaumont: bitter much ?
@Matt Beaumont: you’re forgetting that Keane had those kinds of leg breaker tackles done on him all the time. Every team had a hatchet man back in those days, razor Ruddock, Vinnie Jones, Stuart Pearce, Viera, Duncan ferguson
@Stanley Baggins: he also never broke anybody’s leg but let’s not let facts get in the way here.
@Matt Beaumont: didnt break any legs on purpose, was sent home from world cup as thats what you refer to as a traitor. Overrated yet regarded, at least in premiership as one of the best ever. Winners and champions have dubious charachters.
Ah christ, stop flogging this story to death ! Every day now
@Chris Tobin: couldn’t agree more. It’s like how many more angles can we get on Roys throwaway line which was short of compassion admittedly but how surprising really is that given the things he’s said and done in the past? It was pretty much a given he’d say something controversial if you sat him in front of a microphone.
Keane. Great footballer. Dire manager. Brain of a pigeon. Social skills of a nettle.
Roy Keane has very little respect for players , he appears to believe that everyone has to agree with what his philosophy is, or was as a player . He appears to have no idea how to manage people and therefore is not fit to be in charge of any club. He will end up being sacked every time. Just go away and walk your dog for Gods sake.
Keane is a toe rag.