O'Donnell: Rossies didn't wear the jersey with pride

May 03, 2016

Fergal O'Donnell during his reign as Roscommon manager.
©INPHO/Cathal Noonan.

Roscommon joint-manager Fergal O'Donnell says his players didn't wear the county colours with pride in New York on Sunday.

The Rossies laboured to a fortuitous one-point victory over the Exiles in their Connacht SFC opener at Gaelic Park and O'Donnell feels they let themselves down:

"It's just not good enough. The Roscommon jersey, people have been talking this week about being proud to wear the Roscommon jersey, we didn't wear it with pride today and that's very disappointing," he told The Irish Independent.

"I suppose in 2011 we were criticised that we didn't attend a lot of functions and do's and whatever. There's been a lot of distractions. I'm not blaming anyone, they're fundraisers and what have you.

"But I think we've all seen ourselves that you can get caught up in the hype. We were very lucky to get off that pitch. It's a very disappointing performance and disappointing for our supporters who came out. The reality is that, in three weeks' time, against Leitrim, that ain't going to be good enough.

"If we look stale, we look stale but you know we did come here without a few players who had been injured. Maybe that strength isn't there like we think. There can be a tendency in Roscommon, I've always said, that players are maybe overrated. But look, fresh after the game, it's very disappointing, we have to go back and look at it all.

"There's a lot of positives - for New York. They showed more hunger and fight than us. I'm just disappointed but listen I suppose the fact that we got out with a tight win, just to escape with the win was a positive."


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