James Stephens' manager Padraic Fanning admitted that playing well and losing counted for very little following last Sunday's defeat to Ballyhale Shamrocks. The Village put in a mammoth second half to keep the large crowd in attendance on the edge of their seats, but their efforts were in vain as Shamrocks held on to win their third consecutive title. "We don't look for consolation in good performances," said Fanning. "You want to win the big games. At the end of the day, playing at this level is all about winning." The match itself was played in ideal conditions but the concession of two first half goals left the Village with a mountain to climb in the second half. Tweet

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