Keeper Scott Kerr sees bright future ahead for Leitrim's young footballers

Defeat was Leitrim’s lot in Sunday’s Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC Tier 2 Quarter Final but goalkeeper Scott Kerr believes that if this Leitrim squad can stick together, there is a bright future ahead for the Green & Gold.

Kildare proved too strong, winning 3-16 to 2-10 in Manguard Kildare GAA Centre of Excellence but Scott and his Leitrim teammates are already looking ahead: “A few of us now, hopefully we'll move on to the 20s now this year, next year, so or even in the next couple of years. We'll try and hold this team together. It's a good team, good, solid team so hopefully we can push on now and just get more results, let's keep going.”

Some may question the value of the Tiered Minor championships but the Leitrim Gaels clubman was delighted to get  more time with his teammates as he looked back over the campaign: “The win against Sligo, first of all, gave us a lot of confidence, a belief that was restored. Going into this year we thought we could win a kind of championship, we really had good confidence but a few close games  knocked us out.

"But the Sligo game gave us confidence and then we had the Down game and it built up confidence. We came into this game thinking we had a fair shot, it's just very disappointing now too.”

REACTION: MANAGER DANNY BECK PROUD OF LEITRIM EFFORTS BUT BLASTS ORGANISATION OF ALL-IRELAND QUARTER FINAL

Analysing the game was relatively easy - Kildare made good use of the wind in the first half and Scott admitted it was difficult to get his kick-off away to a teammate: “We had a very poor first half, tough wind and just couldn't get any of our own kick outs and we struggled. In the second half, we had a good start but just couldn't finish it off, they came back at us then, we just struggled.

“They're very strong runners, big lads and maybe we didn't have enough runners coming through the middle. In the first half against the wind, a few silly balls and just not making the right decisions but credit to Kildare, they're a good team, good side. 

“We tried to get a few kick-offs away short but they'd be kind of splitting us, it's not that easy and around the middle we weren't really winning our own kick out, so it's hard to decide  where to go but just very disappointing.”

The early throw-in time  and the effects of the extra time victory over Down didn’t help Leitrim either: “Our bus in Manorhamilton was collecting lads at six in the morning, lads would have had to have been up about quarter past five this morning - sure, it's very hard to play a game when you're up that early.

“It's a quick turnaround after the Down game, extra time and all, it's very tough. I wouldn't have been too bad but the rest of the lads, the midfielders cramping up and injuries with a few niggles there, Jack Moolick today with an Achilles injury, so was tough, after going, what, 80 minutes in that heat and to play again a week later, it's very tough.“