McLean would have taken a draw
February 23, 2015
Derry hurlers.
Derry manager Tom McLean admitted his team got out of jail against Westmeath yesterday.
A last-minute goal from substitute Declan Foley handed the Oak Leafers a dramatic 2-15 to 3-10 victory over Michael Ryan's charges in Owenbeg.
"To be honest, coming into the last few minutes if we'd been offered a draw this week again (Derry drew with Kerry last weekend), we would probably have taken it," McLean said in the Irish News.
"For a 15-minute spell there in the second half, Westmeath ran the whole show. But really, this was only our second competitive match. It was tough going out there and the fellas worked hard. They had a breather and they came back again."
With difficult games to come against Kerry and Carlow, Michael Ryan admitted that Westmeath now face an uphill battle to stay in the promotion race.
"We were in a bit of bother going in at half-time," he said.
"But we responded well in the second half and got a couple of goals and we were in a very strong position with a few minutes to go.
"We got a few chances after that, but we did not take them. But that's the price you pay at this level if, when you have somebody on the floor, you do not finish off the job."
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