O’Donovan Rossa rue missed chances: 'Sport doesn’t be long killing fairy tales'

O’Donovan Rossa’s brave effort to reach the 2024 AIB LGFA All-Ireland intermediate final came up short in Annaghdown

The Galway and Connacht champions proved a step too far for 2023’s Cork, Munster and All-Ireland junior champions. Rossa’s added intermediate county and provincial titles this past year but their hopes of reaching a second consecutive national decider fell short at the penultimate stage.

A 1-12 to 1-9 loss in Annaghdown was tough to take but the Skibbereen club’s 11 wides proved costly. Understandably, it was a devastated O’Donovan Rossa dressing room that manager James O’Donovan emerged from shortly after the final whistle.

“Hats off to Annaghdown, they are a very, very good side,” a gracious O’Donovan stated. “No doubt about it, they were the better team on the day. We got some late scores, yeah, but it was too late by then.

“They’d built up a seven-point lead halfway through the second half. I just think, normally we keep the scoreboard ticking over, but those chances that we normally nail, today we missed too many of them.” 

Down 0-4 to 0-3 at the end of a tight first half, Bronagh Quinn’s goal, scored immediately after the restart, after Rossa’s missed a chance of their own just before, handed Annaghdown a lead they would never relinquish.

Credit to the Skibbereen club who embarked on a late scoring surge culminating with Allie Tobon’s injury-time goal. The final whistle shrilled immediately after however, and as James O’Donovan stated, the Skibb club’s late surge proved too little, too late.

Although they came up short, this O’Donovan Rossa team has won five major LGFA trophies in two years.

“This is a special team,” James O’Donovan added.

The support we got today was unbelievable and our supporters have gotten an awful lot out of this team over the last few years.

“The honesty and the commitment they’ve shown over the years and everything they’ve achieved is special. Like I said to them inside in the dressing room there just now, we are sad, of course we are.

“We are entitled to be sad. We’ve just lost an All-Ireland semi-final. I know, on reflection, we will have to give it a while, we’ll realise that this has probably been the two best sporting years of their lives. Five cups in two years.

“It would have been lovely to have gone on to that next one and just gotten to Croke Park, but it wasn’t to be.

“Sport is tough. Sport doesn’t be long killing fairy tales.” 

BIG TEST

O’Donovan Rossa mentor Derek Tobin was also crestfallen.

“It’d be nice to be heading for Croke Park in a weeks, but look, that’s life,” Tobin added. “Fortunately, I think, it will make them stronger as the years go on.

“Senior football is going to be a big test next year, but I think that the girls have matured so much in the last couple of years.

“Credit to them, they are just an unbelievable bunch to be involved with. Everything we have asked ask of them, they did it. 

"They trust the systems, they do the right thing all the time, and, in fairness, again, you couldn’t ask for any more of them. That’s life, isn’t it?”