Manager Larkin is ‘gutted’ for his young players

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THERE was no shame to the way the Laois minor footballers bowed out of the championship. After six months of relentless commitment, Laois’s minor footballers saw their Leinster Championship journey come to an end with a narrow defeat to Offaly.

A campaign marked by promise and grit ultimately came down to fine margins. A slow start, a few missed chances, and the cruel reality of championship football.

For manager John Larkin, the result stung deeply, but not for himself, for the group of young men he led into battle.

“Very disappointed. The lads have worked extremely hard for the last six months since the 2nd of November. They’re just working at it, and the effort they’ve put in is supreme.

“Panel of 33 lads tonight, it’s not the 24, it’s the extended panel as well, it’s everyone. That’s what’s pushed everyone, and look, I’m so disappointed for the lads that they couldn’t do it tonight,. Said Larkin.

“The first 10 minutes were probably the key. They started very slowly and were chasing the game all the time. We got back to level; the draw would have done. With just a few little decisions and maybe a break of the ball…….

“I’m gutted for the lads, and the effort they’ve put in has been exceptional. It was a tough group. I know we didn’t get a win, but the performance last week in Dublin meant we’re still in the championship coming into tonight. A slow start probably cost us, but that’s all I can say about it,” Larkin said.

Despite trailing by six points on the brink of half-time, Laois fought their way back into contention before the break, leaving them only two down as they headed for the dressing room.

“We kicked three scores there, the two-pointer and two single points, very positive before half-time. Conditions got a bit greasy; there wasn’t that much of a wind. There was one at the start, but it died down very early in the game. We started the second half poorly, too, on the scoreboard. They got their two-pointer, and they got another point. They went four or five up again, five up I think, and we got it back and we got level. Unfortunately, we didn’t push on from there and we should have,” he added.

It’s a campaign that will be remembered for fight, character, and a group that never gave up. For Larkin, the disappointment lies not in the result, but in how much the players gave to a cause that just came up short.

“That's why I’m so disappointed for the lads. They’re a brilliant bunch of lads, and they deserve better. You say you get what you deserve, but I don’t think they got what they deserved, and, as I say, it’s about those young lads. Look, we put as much into it as we could. We gave them the facilities to do it, and they’ve done it. I think we’ve had 60-something sessions, along with tonight. Lads are there all the time, it’s a full panel of lads. It’s not just the 15 on the field, it’s not just the panel of 24, it’s everyone, and I’m so gutted for the whole lot of them. That’s football and that’s life,” he said.

With their Leinster journey now at an end, Laois will shift their focus to the Tier 3 All-Ireland series. The break will be brief, but the resolve will remain.

“We’ll give the lads a week off, go back to their clubs, and we’ll see what happens from there,” Larkin concluded.