Aidan O'Mahony pays tribute to Macroom players after avoiding relegation: 'These lads never give up'

After an outstanding game of football, Macroom were still standing in the Cork Premier IFC grade in Kilmurry on Sunday. 

Their relegation play-off - their third year in succession - went to the wire. Pa Lucey’s 60th-minute penalty drew them level and Eolan O’Leary grabbed the winner, 2-20 to 2-19.

Lucey was on fire, registering 1-12, including five two-pointer frees.

“We felt this year we probably didn’t perform to our ability until our last game against Iveleary,” manager and Kerry All-Ireland winner Aidan O’Mahony said.

“The first 20 minutes today we were second to every ball. It was all one-way football for Bandon (1-7 to nil). But then I see what I see in this group for the last two years, massive heart, and then they just roared back into the game in the space of 12 minutes.

"We went in at half time up two points and we spoke about the first 10 minutes of the second half that that was the most crucial part. They keep you on a shoestring but they are unbelievable lads. As I said, another team like that getting back to a relegation play-off, they could fall. 

But these lads they don’t, they never give up. The battle.

“It was a day for football and I have pity for Bandon as well. Based on the championship, neither team should probably be in relegation. But here we are. You don’t want any team to be going down.

“It was an outstanding game of football.

“You’d take your heart off to both teams. Bandon got a massive start, our lads came back in and they took over again. But I suppose our lads have been here before. I’m always saying to them, coaches and managers can only give them the tools, they are the fellas who go inside the line. They are the lads that brought that game over the line today.” 

The bench played their part as well.

“We said we would bring on legs at the end of the game. That’s what a panel is for. We had 32 togged out. 

"Dylan (Twomey) is a goal poacher for us, told him to get in there and get on the ball. The ball broke in the middle of the field, Mark Condon won it and once it got into Dylan’s hands I knew he would take on his man. Then the penalty. A brilliant end to the game. You need a bit of luck as well and we got that today.

It’s brilliant for those lads, today is probably their greatest victory, insofar they could have been out the gate but they battled back. 

"They never died.” 

Macroom finished the group with a draw, a three-point loss, and a one-point loss.

“The Castletownbere game was the most disappointing because we didn’t perform for 20 minutes." 

TOUGH

"The second game against Kiskeam, I have massive respect for them, they are a tough, tough team. Both teams needed to win, we got the draw. The Iveleary game, that’s when we actually turned up. The two goals were unfortunate, the keeper got caught with the sun in his eyes. 

"The most disappointing thing about that game was we should have beaten Iveleary. We felt that night they got over the line and all of a sudden with the calculations we are in relegation again.”