Leitrim boss Steven Poacher has poured cold water on Leitrim producing a strong Tailteann Cup campaign.
26-players togged out for Leitirm in their 22-point defeat to Sligo yesterday. A result that rounded out one of the darkest weeks for Leitrim football after they conceded a game to Fermanagh.
Poacher admitted attention has turned to the championship. “Our priority now is really giving the Tailteann a good rattle now” Poacher told Shannonside Sport's Darren Mulvey.
“We’ve parked the league it’s been a disappointing league campaign” added Poacher after Leitrim finished with no points and -99 of a score difference.
“It’s been a disappointing campaign, I think 14 or 15 lads have played their first competitive game for Leitrim. That’s where we are at, at the minute with this young group”.
Leitrim’s next fixture is the Connacht semi-final against Mayo or Sligo on April 19. An expected defeat to league finalists Mayo would see Leitrim drop into the Tailteann Cup.
Leitrim would be in pot three in the Tailteann Cup having finished bottom of division three. However the Leitrim boss poured cold water on hopes for an extended cup run.
“The reality is there are teams in division four that are very good teams, the likes of Wexford” Poacher explained. “The Tailteann Cup is a competitive competition”.
“A lot of teams at a very similar level. I’ve always felt, the bottom 12/14 teams, you could throw a blanket over a lot of them. There’s not a massive group”.
Good run at training needed
“Then you have a middle group and then you have your top eight or so” Poacher added.
“The gap is very clear too see in football at the minute. There is tier’s in football, that’s why we have the two competition”.
“Our priority now, will just be getting as many bodies back on the field as we possibly can and get a consistent bit of training done for the first time since January”.
Meanwhile, Ciaran Whelan and Lee Keegan dismissed Poachers claims of lack in sub-standards
Speaking on RTÉ’s League Sunday programme with Dublin legend Whelan, dismissing Poacher’s interview with Newstalk as deflection.
“I think the man needs to take the mic away from him to be honest” explained Lee Keegan. “It’s probably not the best week to be coming out with certain statements”.
“What I find kind of discouraging from himself is it’s not factually correct. When Andy Moran and Mike Solan went into that job, Leitrim were at a bit of a low and things could only get better”.
“I know Andy very well and I know Mike Solan very well” added Keegan. “I know the work they put into that group of players, it wasn’t plain sailing it was tough”.
“Obivously New York beat them one year, but they got division four promotion which was key for them. They had a good Tailteann Cup campaign.
“I’m not sure sub-par behavious are coming from or what it’s based on” Keegan went on. “But for me it’s the timing of it”.
“To even say stuff after last week, they’ve put themselves in a bad position” added Keegan.
'It was a deflection' - Lee Keegan and Ciaran Whelan give their take on Steven Poacher's comments about Leitrim's 'standards' following their failure to field a team against Fermanagh last weekend
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