‘Our players now realise how good they are’ – Peter Boland

THOMAS Davis Senior Ladies Football team manager, Peter Boland firmly believes his players can draw plenty from the experience of reaching the championship final this season in order to eventually fulfil their dreams of county success.

In what was their first ever appearance in a senior ladies championship showpiece at Parnell Park on Friday night, the Kiltipper team was undone by Kilmacud Crokes 2-9 to 0-12.

Finalists in 2019 and 2020, Crokes had stormed into a six-point lead by the halftime break, but Davis demonstrated great tenacity to battle their way back to within a point by stoppage time.

Nevertheless, Kilmacud held their nerve, and a goal from substitute, Cassie Sultan provided them with a cushion in advance of Ciara McGuigan’s fifth point that left three between the sides at the final whistle.

“It was our first time playing a county final and Crokes have been there three of the last four years” Boland pointed out.

“But I felt at halftime that there wasn’t really six points in it. It was more of a three or four-point game.

“Crokes were the better team, but I felt, if we went out and played the way we could, that we would get close to them.

“I felt if we had managed to get it level, we would have pushed on and won, because it would have been tough for Crokes to come back from that.

“But Crokes are an experienced and smart team, and anytime we popped over a score, they’d slow it down.

They knew what they were doing. “But I think our players now realise just how good they are and that they can compete with the best.

“If they play the way they did in the second half of that final against any team, they’ll be very hard to beat.

“There are still a couple of players who have to come back from injury and will strengthen the team next year.

“They’ll definitely learn from that experience of playing in the final in Parnell Park” he told The Echo.