It’s open road now ahead of these Naomh Padraig players - Daniel McCauley 

Daniel McCauley says his Naomh Padraig players will pick themselves up quickly enough from their All-Ireland Club JFC final loss as they have so much to look forward to in 2025. 

Saturday’s 0-9 to 0-8 loss at Croke Park to An Cheathrú Rua of Galway must have been such a difficult pill to swallow. 

On an evening when one or three questionable refereeing decisions just seemed to go the Connacht champions’ way, McCauley agreed the rub of the green deserted his team at crucial moments. 

On 20 minutes Kevin Lynch had made it 0-5 to 0-3 from a close-range free but the player would much have preferred the advantage as he zoned in on goal. 

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Prior to that, Oisin McIntyre appeared to be unceremoniously bundled over inside the area as Kevin Doherty simultaneously fisted Naomh Padraig ahead. 

However, it was a late, late call not given when substitute and captain Dermot Keaveney was upended close to the An Cheathrú Rua goal that will really sting the Muff players, management and supporters when they really reflect on what could have been. 

It was a decision that denied Naomh Padraig one last golden chance to tie the game and send it to extra-time. 

“It’s heartbreaking,” said McCauley when speaking to the media after. “There’s no other way really to describe it. We’re devastated and it’s just hard to put into words really. 

“The year we’ve had, the effort that’s gone into that, I’m just so proud of them. Even though it wasn’t to be today, I couldn’t have asked for more from them. 

“But I’ve told them in there, it’s how they react to the likes of this now that really counts. And I’ve no doubt they’ll come back even stronger.” 

Naomh Padraig had led 0-5 to 0-4 at the changeover in a first-half where they also came close to carving out a number of goal chances. 

Caolan McColgan’s running as well as the direct threat Kevin Lynch was offering under the high ball asked real questions of their opponents. 

An Cheathrú Rua posted 11 wides in that first half hour and McCauley was content that his side’s defensive shape and press was rushing the opposition into some poor shot selections. 

“We were content enough with most of aspects of the first-half. The only thing we couldn’t quite get to grips with was the kickouts. 

“They put a very good press on the kickout and they’d four or five really big men around the middle then. We found it hard to get on top of that squeeze.

“But we were exactly where we wanted to be at the break and that’s going in with our noses in front”. 

In regards to some of the questionable refereeing decisions that went against his side and, in particular, that controversial late call against his captain that wasn’t given, McCauley explained:  It’s difficult to take. 

“It’s not sour grapes but that should have been a free at the end. He’d given them all day. He was consistent all day with that type of call on both teams. 

“Dermot had given one away quite similar himself not long before that. Maybe it was the pressure of the triple header and not wanting the game to go to extra-time. But it was definitely a free. 

“He told our lads it was a slip by Dermot but he definitely caught him. Again, it’s not sour grapes, it’s just how we seen it”. 

This Naomh Padraig journey has now come to an end and while it’s a devastating way for the handbrake to be pulled, McCauley says this can be the start of so much more to come if the players choose to go after the next number of seasons like they did this one. 

“I told them to hold their heads high and appreciate just how far they’ve come. I’ve had so many of the lads - ever since they were nine or ten years of age. It’s been an incredible journey,

“I love them all like family. So I’m not devastated for myself it’s them really that I feel for. That’s what’s killing me. No one will ever really understand just what those boys have been through this year. 

“They’ve come out the other side now and they’ve done the parish and club so proud. We could never have imagined the journey that was ahead of us at the start of this season. 

“The next few days will be sore, raw even. But it’s open road now in front of them. We have Intermediate championship football to look forward to and another season in Division 2. 

“I’ve told them there is an Intermediate title in them in the next four or five years. If they stick together that’s that’s there for them. 

“An Cheathrú Rua were a senior championship side up until two years ago in Galway. You could see that in the real clutch moments today, that experience was there.

“Our lads are still only learning really. They have so much more potential yet to hit. We’ll take a three-week break now. We actually have a team holiday planned for Malaga in February. 

“After that, we’re back into pre-season and there is loads to be excited about”.