Fortune annoyed over comments from Dublin manager
By Gerry Buckley
Joe Fortune was pleased with an improved display from his Westmeath hurling team in Parnell Park last Saturday evening against Dublin - but was displeased with some post-match comments made by his opposite number Micheál Donoghue.
The Malahide-based teacher expressed his disapproval about what happened after the match. He stated: “A couple of comments irked me after the game from the Dublin management that we went out to have a go at Dublin. I was very disappointed with some of the comments. Micheál (Donoghue) came to me at the end to say ‘hard luck’, but he said that we went to do one of the Dublin players.
“Look, I’ll give you our tactical folder for the day and there was never a dismissive comment in any way, shape or form about any Dublin player. I’m disappointed because I’ve spent ten years here. The way to carry yourself after a game is by saying ‘hard luck’ and move on. In fairness, Dublin were the better team and they deserved their victory.”
Looking back on the match itself, Fortune stated: “It was a big improvement from last weekend (against Kilkenny), but we hoped all week that there would be a reaction. I thought for the first 26/27 minutes that we were really good. Obviously, Niall’s (Mitchell) goal early on gave us a bit of a foothold in the game.
“There were a couple of contentious decisions that went against us when we had momentum, but it is hard to officiate on a wet evening. We have put a lot of emphasis on getting our hand-passing right, but some decisions went against us today.”
The Wexford native continued: “I’m proud of the endeavour in the first half, but I just thought we lost our shape in the second half and I was disappointed with some of the work rate in that half. The Dublin subs improved them and Tommy (Doyle) slipped for the goal. A couple of mistakes got Dublin back into the game. That six- to eight-minute spell towards the end of the first half took the momentum away from us.”
“We looked at the U20s over the past few weeks and the right thing to do was to let them stay with their own age group. Otherwise, we could have had a couple of them involved today. They put in a great performance today against Wexford,” he added.
When asked if he felt that Dublin’s second goal killed off the game, Fortune replied: “Yes, as a contest, it did. We were always going to be fighting to claw it back after leading for 31/32 minutes, and then Dublin going in at half-time four points up. The morale was down at half-time because we had fought so hard.”
It gets even tougher for Fortune’s troops next Saturday when Henry Shefflin brings his Galway side to TEG Cusack Park.
In this regard, Fortune concluded: “We move on to next week now. We have to. Tommy Doyle spoke in the dressing room at full-time to emphasise that we are all in this together. We realise the task that is ahead of us. We’ve been ravaged with injuries over the past few weeks and that’s hard when you have that many people out. Niall Mitchell came back today. He got a bit of a bang in the hand, but he’s fine. Niall O’Brien got 25/30 minutes into him.”