Carlow were defeated 2-23 to 2-12 by Kerry in Round 1 of the U20 Leinster Hurling Championship at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
Speaking to KCLR Sport after the match, Carlow manager Brendan Hayden reflected on the result, expressing disappointment, particularly in his side’s performance.
“We had no issue with the result, the biggest issue we have is with the performance. We were very flat from the start of the game and it just carried right through the game. They got the start that we were looking for and fair play to them I mean it’s a championship match and that’s what they needed to do”.
The Carlow manager acknowledged the effort from his players but expressed frustration with the outcome, noting how it contrasted with their recent form.
“The lads tried but a lot of the stuff that they tried didn’t come off. The disappointing thing for us as a whole group is that we were performing really well in games leading into this but we just picked a bad day to have a bad day”.
Looking ahead to their upcoming match, Brendan Hayden emphasized the importance of securing a win to help his side avoid relegation.
“We have to win or the season is over. There’s a group of counties that we’re always going to be around the same level the whole time. Look it’s going to a tight match again but we’ll have to do something with our performance and let the result take care of itself”.
Carlow will take on Kildare in the second round of the U20 Leinster Hurling Championship on April 5th at Netwatch Cullen Park.
Article by Hannah Sharpe
