Wicklow football manager Oisín McConville said if his players need "any fuel" for the Leinster Championship clash with Carlow this weekend then they could get it by watching the analysis of the weekend's Division 4 final on RTÉ's League Sunday. Wicklow lost Saturday evening's game to Sligo, 2-10 to 0-14.
League Sunday's punditry team featured former Dublin footballer Paul Flynn, former Clare footballer David Tubridy, and Tyrone legend Peter Canavan. McConville felt Wicklow's contribution to the game was not "properly analysed".
'Wicklow did dominate the whole first half'
"I was disappointed after watching [League Sunday] last night," McConville told BBC's The GAA Social podcast.
"If our boys need any fuel, if they watched the commentary from last night [they'll have it]. I came away from it thinking that I was going to check the score again to see if we were beat by 20 points. We did dominate the whole first half of the game, and probably the last 10 minutes of the game as well.
"Yet, they highlighted the fact that we lapsed in concentration twice. There was no analysis - as far as we were concerned - of what we were about. I'm well aware of where we're at in the pecking order.
"You think of the effort that the players have put in, and you think of the fact that you just want some semblance of respect - that's just not there yet. That means we'll have to dig a little further in order to get it. That's fine. I didn't take it personally.
"I knew our boys would be watching it. I'd be hurt for them that it wasn't properly analysed. Lookit, if I needed any more fuel, which I don't... We'll just keep it going, keep our heads down."
1 April 2023; Kevin Quinn of Wicklow in action against Eddie McGuinness during the Allianz Football League Division 4 Final match between Sligo and Wicklow at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
McConville said his immediate reaction following the game was one of pride for how his side had performed.
"We had a couple of lapses in concentration which really cost us," he said.
"The first goal changed the game completely. We were in complete control, 7-2 up, we're after hitting the post to go 8-2 up. We probably should have tagged on another score or two. Instead of going six points up, we're only a point up.
"We switched off defensively, and they had that extra runner in over the top. Good hands from them, good move. Overall, I was satisfied with the performance. I'm probably more disappointed today (Monday)."
The Armagh man added that he would not scrap league finals even though it gives them just a week to prepare before the start of the championship.
1 April 2023;Paul Kilcoyne of Sligo celebrates his sides second goal during the Allianz Football League Division 4 Final match between Sligo and Wicklow at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by John Sheridan/Sportsfile
"I like the league finals," he said.
"I think there's an opportunity there. When I asked last Tuesday night in our dressing room how many people had played in Croke Park before, I wasn't expecting the answer that I got. There were only two who'd played in Croke Park before. It was an opportunity for them to sample that. You get an opportunity to sample what it takes to play in a final."
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