Kilkenny SHC: 'They’ll be back' - Adrian Mullen backs Tullaroan to bounce back from final heartbreak
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Shamrocks Ballyhale’s Adrian Mullen believes Tullaroan will 'be back again’ despite their heavy Kilkenny SHC Final defeat
Shamrocks Ballyhale and Kilkenny star Adrian Mullen has backed Tullaroan to bounce back from their county final defeat, praising the quality within their ranks and insisted it is “not the end of the road” for the beaten finalists.
“Obviously, it’s a difficult day being on the wrong side of such a big occasion, an important occasion. It’s not the end of the road for those lads by any means. They’ll just have to go back and regroup next year, and I’m sure they’ll be back again over the next few years because they have a really good team there and some really good players.
“It was a brilliant day for the Shamrocks, the club and the community. Another county final, they’re always brilliant to win and get over the line,” he added.
Mullen also reflected on the pressure of delivering on county final day, the importance of their supporters and the hard work behind the Shamrocks’ continued success.
“You have to show up in these games. Thankfully, we did. We got a good start, but we had the wind in the first half, so we were conscious of that. We came out in the second half, tied down a few more scores and, thankfully, got over the line.
“Down in Ballyhale, the supporters look forward to every game because hurling nearly means everything to the people and the community. They were really looking forward to this one, and there was pressure on us to come out and perform.”
“You can never be too confident coming into a game like this, especially with a team like Tullaroan on the other side. You just have to put in the preparation and have that bit of belief in yourself to show up on the big day and perform,” Mullen continued.
“I suppose it’s just lads going down to the field and putting their shoulder to the wheel. Thankfully, we have a good backroom team this year, as we have had in other years, and they keep the drive going and push it. It’s up to each and every one of the lads to go down to the field each evening and put in the hard work. Thankfully, we did that this year.”