Manager Danny Beck proud of Leitrim efforts but blasts organisation & timing of All-Ireland Quarter-final

To say that Danny Beck was somewhat conflicted after Sunday’s Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC Tier 2 Quarter-Final against Kildare is probably understating just how annoyed Leitrim’s joint manager was over the organisation of the game while also expressing enormous pride in the performance of his young players.

Joint manager with his fellow Mohill clubman Ciaran Kennedy, Danny joked “Do you really want to talk with me?” when approached by the Observer following the 3-16 to 2-10 loss, expressing his annoyance over the arrangements that saw the game start ten minutes late with the pitch at the Manguard Plus Kildare Centre of Excellence not properly marked.

“I couldn't be more proud of them,” explained the Leitrim boss, “I'm more annoyed by the whole thing previous to the game. It was a shambles set-up - you're talking about an All-Ireland quarter-final, coming up here to be here for 12 o'clock, lads getting on a bus at quarter-past six, we land up here and no pitch lined.

“The referee tells us that we have to be ready to go at 10 past after being told that the game was put off for 35 minutes. So we had no warm-up, straight onto the field and expected them to play an All-Ireland quarter-final against a good team. It's a joke.”

Yet Danny, a former Leitrim Senior stalwart himself, was at pains to stress that his players, first and foremost, were not trotting out excuses: “There's no excuses in the game. Those lads wouldn't use that at all. That's just my vent. In preparation you want everything to be 100%. Those lads there, they wouldn't use that as an excuse whatsoever. It's an All-Ireland quarter final. Lads are up for it but all these factors, one on top of the other, they all take a little percentage out of your 100% and they'll chip away at you.”

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It sounds as if the Leitrim manager is extremely proud of his players: “Proud - you hit the nail on the head there. I couldn't be more happier with the lads. They're a really good bunch. I suppose I haven't seen a group as together as this group -yes, they're all different clubs but they're really, really good, they're really positive, they don't let anything really affect them.”

Analysing the game, Danny stressed Leitrim travelled to Newbridge believing they could get the better of the Lilywhites but the wind and effects of their extra-time victory over Down played its part: “We truly believed we could win. It fell short, we did get it back to five points. Probably just lacked that bit of energy then to kick on. 

“Picked up a few niggles as well. Kildare’s third goal sucked the life out of us and best of luck to Kildare. They're a great bunch of lads there but we knew we'd get a purple patch with that wind it was. On the field, the wind is a lot stronger than what it actually looked like and you could see that from the long-range scores and the long-range kicks in.

“And a week’s turnover as well from last week with the heat that was there against Down . We went to extra time obviously in that game and penalties and lads are tired, bodies are tired.”

Reluctant to single out individual players for praise, Danny did, however, stress that Leitrim have a goalkeeper for the future in Scott Kerr but insisted quite a few of this team will be regulars for Leitrim in the years ahead: “Leitrim won't have to look for a keeper for the next 20 years anyway, they're in good hands if Scott's available. 

“You hit the nail on the head as well. There's loads of lads there and they all bring something. That's not just the 15 that started, there were 35 men on that panel from day one. A couple of them picked up knocks but they're still part of it. They're still here, they're still a trend every night. That's key to the group.”

In common with U20 manager Barry McWeeney, Danny stresses the need for investment to keep this young squad together: “We just need to tie that group of lads together. From minor, how many of them transition into senior football? It's a small percentage. You really just need to keep them lads together.

“As I said, today and the Philly McGuinness Cup win are in the past now. What these lads do in the future is what really matters. It's about how much Leitrim pump into these lads. Are we going to let them walk away and do something else if they're not there? I really think we should do something just to keep that core group of lads together. 

“If you get five of them into your senior team in the next three years, brilliant. Those lads are conditioned, they know how to mind themselves. They are elite athletes at that age. We just need to develop them into the next stage. Those lads will go along with whatever's put in front of them.  If you ask them to go through a wall, they'll pull together and they'll do it.

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“St Clare’s journey in the All-Ireland was brilliant to see but as I keep saying, you're coming to the same core of players and you have so many people pulling out of those lads that it just needs to be managed probably a bit tighter to make sure that they get to that level injury free and not be burnt out and stuff like that.”

Experienced on the club scene, managing the Minor team along with Ciaran Kennedy was a first for Danny - so how did he enjoy it? “There is a lot more organisation in it All you can ask for is lads turn up and empty the tank. They do that week in, week out. When you go to the club scene, you don't know how many are going to be at training. 

“When you come to the county, you know every single one of them are going to be there. They're going to be all togging out, looking for that jersey - two men essentially looking for one position. You just have to manage that amount of bodies and get it right.”