St Columba's boss Shane McGinty cites missed chances as main factor in side's loss

St Columba’s manager Shane McGinty cited the missed opportunities in the second half as a defining factor that saw his St Columba’s side eliminated at the semi-final stages from the Markey Cup against Holy Cross of Strabane.

“We’re gutted for the lads. They’ve put in such a big effort all year to get to this stage,” McGinty conceded, setting the tone for a candid examination of the match.

As he delved into the intricacies of the game, McGinty highlighted the missed scoring opportunities that plagued his team, particularly in the second half.

The acknowledgment of leaving crucial scores behind underscored the gravity of the defeat.

“I suppose when we look back on this game, we’ll quickly realise that we left a few scores behind us during that match particularly in the second half. 

“We were on top at the start of the second half, we were two points up I think, then we started dropping balls short, a few kicks went wide, one or two hit the post, and in that time, Holy Cross built up some momentum and got their scores.”

However, the away side proved too strong on the attack in the final third and a goal from an unmarked Conor Langan on 52 minutes proved that when he split the Donegal side’s defence to ease the ball past Sam McGlinchey to make it 1-10 to 0-8.

“The goal for them was the big change in the game because by that stage they were five-points up,” McGinty said.

“I think they were catching balls from our kickouts around that time and because of that they probably caught us on the counterattack once or twice because we weren’t set up and ultimately that’s where their goal and final scores came from.”

Despite strategic preparations for Holy Cross' defensive setup, McGinty conceded the difficulty in breaking down their opponents. The late stages of the game introduced unforeseen challenges that disrupted St Columba's momentum but the schoolteacher states that his team can have no complaints.

“The way Holy Cross set up, it was going to be difficult to break them down, but we were prepared for that before the game. We know coming into the late stages of the game there’s going to cynical play and stuff happening off the ball which probably affected our momentum, but it is what it is.”