Antrim the better team admits Fortune

Gerry Buckley

“Today’s not an easy one,” said a clearly emotional Joe Fortune after last Sunday’s 14-point loss to Antrim in TEG Cusack Park last Sunday, “but we weren’t good enough in the second half. We’ll have to see whether there is a real drive for the McDonagh Cup because you saw the talent that is there last night (in the Carlow v Offaly game) and we’ll probably be seen as the team who should get up. There will be a target on our back.”

The Wexford native continued: “It’s a massive disappointment, but Antrim were the better team.

“They came down to do a job and they put us to the sword. We were two points up at half-time, but there was a big breeze and we knew that Antrim were going to come back at us.

“However, we had a lot of unforced errors overall and maybe weren’t as direct as we could have been. We needed to go direct when (Niall) Mitchell came in, but Antrim were always going to have their homework done. Maybe once or twice he was being held, but we weren’t direct enough.”

Reflecting further on a roller-coaster week, the Malahide-based teacher added: “There’s a gut-wrenching feeling in the dressing room after all we did last week in Wexford. They are a proud bunch of men.

“To an awful lot of people now it will mean nothing as we go back down that trap door.”

While he said that he needed time to think about his own future, Fortune was adamant that there is life left in this Westmeath team.

“It’s so disappointing for the group, but I think the group needs to unite and stay strong because the young lads that are coming through need leaders to look up to. There has to be one more year in that team. I know Derek (McNicholas) has publicly said he is stepping away, but ‘Jogger’ Doyle spoke and said he’ll be back, and he spoke of the friendship among the lads.”