'There’s no element of panic' - English on Bridge United's Maher Shield heroics - Kilkenny Live

Bridge United player/manager Conor English has hailed the squad’s willpower following their 3-2 defeat of Fort Rangers in the Pat Maher Shield Final on Saturday night.

The winners came from 0-2 down to snatch the title and win the competition for the first time since 2004.

"I treat them with respect, and they give me respect back, so it’s a match,” he told Kilkenny People Sport after the match.

"They’re an unbelievable group. We never throw in the towel, and that's why we’re there until the last kick. It’s not luck," he continued, acknowledging slow starts have become a slight trend.

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"We’ve probably made it a bad habit at the moment by starting some of the games this season a little bit slow, but what we always do is stick to the plan and the process and with that we got the reward in the end, and more times than not that does seem to be the case in games," he added.

"There’s no element of panic with us, there’s great character in the group," he added.

English, although immensely proud at their cup and shield exploits, believes the club are ready to take the next step and compete at the top of the St Canice’s Credit Union Premier Division.

"I know a lot of people would look at us and say we’re a very strong cup team and that’s the case but across the board, in every competition, and that includes the league, apart from maybe this season down through the years, we've been very consistent and we've been at the higher end of the table all the time,” he said.

"Unfortunately for a club like us and a team like us, maybe sometimes we don't have the strength and depth when it comes to the league at times in our squad.

"If you’re down a couple of injuries, some of your key players, the league ends up taking a hit, and you have to prioritise the cup," English commented, adding, "I personally don't care, whether I finish second, third, fourth or fifth. That doesn’t bother me if it means we as a club bring silverware back, well, that’s what’s most important."

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