David Conway bemoans "soul destroying" defeat

It will take a long time for Grangenolvin to get over what happened on Saturday, suffering a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Kerry’s Ballymacelligott to bow out of the All-Ireland Club JFC.

Speaking after the game, Grange manager David Conway could not hide his understandable disappointment, admitting that the semi-final felt like one that got away, particularly given the fortuitous nature of Ballymacelligott’s two early goals.

“We got the first score of the game, and we had actually turned them over on the half-back line; we got a free and one of our players went to play a short ball across to one of our lads and he actually didn’t see the Ballymacelligott player in the sun at all. (They) intercepted it and they just had an overlap straight away and hit us with a goal which was cruel,” he explained.

“(Adam Sheehy) got in on us for the second one but we got to knock it out of his hand and it fell to the floor and he just pulled on it from 21 yards and landed in the top corner.

“That is the joys of sport, but to say that days I’ve been proud of the lads, I’d say today is the proudest. To be behind at that stage of a game against a Kerry outfit who were red hot favourites - and we brought it back to two points before half time.

“We had a two-point free - now obviously they’re speculative or whatever, and Brian has been amazing at them - and we didn’t manage to get it. (Ballymacelligott) got a real soft one then 30 seconds later up the other end of the field they put it over and stretched it to four again.

“So, it was back to having to kick so much ball to get ahead again. We got it to one and just couldn’t fully get it because we had them completely on the ropes.

“It’s soul destroying, because I know every dressing room deserves this and that and the other, but I don’t think anyone worked as well as Grangenolvin did this year.”

Ballymacelligott were faster out of the traps after half time and surged ahead again, only for Grange to show tremendous character as they clawed their way back late in the second half to get themselves back within a single point.

But it was their inability to raise a green flag during a “period of dominance” that Conway felt ultimately cost his team,

“I think all of Kildare used the phrase that Grangenolvin didn’t have any bottle, but all of Ireland saw it today not just Kildare,” the manager said.

“The dream of playing in Croke Park is a massive carrot for players, so to have that snatched away when it was potentially there for us and so close - but that’s sport, that’s life.

“The greatest thing about sport is it teaches you life lessons far beyond where you can get them anywhere else. And friendships; there’s a massive bond in that group and there’s a massive community behind us and we’re really really proud to be representing Grangenolvin.”