“There's a lot we need to learn”, says Louth captain Clancy

Louth senior hurling captain Conor Clancy shared his thoughts after Saturday's defeat to Roscommon.

At full time, he said: “Awful disappointment in the result. We really put ourselves in a good position there, but in the first half, we left ourselves too much to do.

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“Playing with a win like that, we had to be at least six or seven scores up. Only being one point up at half-time was a big battle ahead of us.

“We dug in there. We hung in for as long as we could, but just couldn't get our nose back in front.

“Our shape went completely wayward. Our half-back line got sucked out the field. We completely crowded the scoring zone, taking pop shots over our shoulders.

“Just lost the run ourselves. Got a bit excited and then as the game started to get away, it was hard to revert back to what we were good at. We instead pushed too high up the field. So, yeah, there's a lot that we need to learn from that now.”

Roscommon dictated the middle third for long stretches of the opening period.

“That's it. Just as I was touching on there, we played the game they wanted to play. We went down, we clogged up there and let them come out with numbers, and they moved the ball well through the hands.

“They had 60, 70 yards of space in their full forward line that they could pop the ball into pockets and try and retain it in there.

“Only for our full back line had such a strong game today. They kept us in the game the whole way through it. So, it's more of how we played rather than how Roscommon played.

“Roscommon are a super team, but we gave them too much respect, and we allowed them to push their game style onto us.”

Clinical Roscommon

Roscommon struck early in the second half as they established a cushion.

“That's it. They got a good three or four points there, quick straight away, got ahead, and they were very good at picking off scores there from distance.

“(Seán) Canning was back today, and every time we got it back to within one or two, he was able to pop up and put another one between it.

“They were full value for their win. They hurled well, and they did enough to hold on to it.”

Even so, opportunities came Louth’s way with chances that would normally be converted were not taken.

“Unfortunately, that's the case. In the middle of February, a lot of those that we normally get on any other day, we missed today.

“If you got them, it's a completely different story, and you're putting more of a squeeze on them coming down the home stretch. It could have been a different outcome.”

Conditions

The conditions were heavy, but Clancy’s handling under pressure stood out.

“In fairness, the pitch held up fairly well in Darver. It was disappointing we couldn't get down to the club grounds.

“A better surface would have suited us a lot better, so we were forced to play here today. But yeah, up there, the conditions, we train in them.

“I don't know when the last time we trained in dry weather was up there, so we're well used to the wet at this stage. It's just a matter of nailing the basics and moving the ball.”

Belief

Louth brought it back to a single point in the closing stages.

“Huge belief, yeah. Any time I tog out for Louth in hurling, I always think we're going to win the game.

“Never turn enough to keep it tight or have more results. We're always here to try and get results. Five minutes to go, I was sure of it, we were after getting it back to one.

“We had one or two chances again that we left off, and even the scores they conceded, sorry, the scores we conceded, we had primary possession, and we made mistakes, gave the ball back, sloppy hand-passes, dropping balls.

“We were definitely on the front foot, just couldn't take our chances.”

Campaign

Louth have four games played with two wins and two defeats.

“Overall, yeah, it's great to have the four points on the board because it's what we're aiming for at the start of the year. You're always trying to chase the first two results.

“Overall, happy, but when you look back at it at the same time, the Fermanagh and Armagh game were very close, so we're sitting here now on four points, but we could easily be sitting here on zero points for four losses.

“So, we're moving, we're improving well, but we've just got to get a little more tidier and a little more clinical.”

Next up, Donegal and another tough test.

“They're the two games we're looking forward to all year, is Donegal and Wicklow. I haven't hurled him now in a long time, so it's great to hurl up a level, see how we're faring up against him and give it a rattle, see what we can do.”