As shocking starts go the first quarter of this game was just about as shocking as it could be as Sals flew out of the blocks and raced into a three goal lead before we'd even managed to string a pass or two together. Despite the rally and 2 good goals from Paul Conlon and debutant Sean O'Carroll, we just did n't have it in the locker to get a result on the day. Hailey brought the dog down to the game and the first thing he did was piss on the kit bag. Kind of sums it up really.

Hands up though I played a big part in our downfall, offering Sals a path of least resistance to goal when I should have been stronger. I'd run into a burning building for a every single one of you but ask me to save a penalty or pluck a cross out of the air and I come up short. And all in front of the old boy as well. Poor. As is the way in these situations it's important to gather a large number of excuses to hide behind. I'll be listening to a different CD on the way to the ground next week for starters. And on friday I'm treating JP to a slap-up meal and a selection of cocktails at TGI's so we can see how his Saturday side like it. And we won't let Timmy carry the kit to the game, especially if he's gonna turn up ten minutes before kick-off. Shocking.

I think we'd all have preferred to have had Noel, Stephen, Brian, Dan (the spine of our side) Jimbo and new signing Darren Quigley available for selection. Having worked our way back into the game at 2-3 we could have done with making a couple of substitutions to help push on for the equalizer but all available bodies were already on the line. Poor Mark runs like he's on the opening credits of Baywatch, Pat is suffering from an unspecified ‘groin' injury, I could not even sprint to the edge of the box. But lets face it our pre-season preparation has been appalling. With only one friendly possible due to the collective travel arrangements of a group of individuals hereafter referred to as The Kerry Mafia, we lacked match fitness today against a side who have already completed 2 league fixtures.

Without meaning to sound like Cashen Rovers we came into the game at three nil down, Paul capitalising on a rare error by one of the Brothers Grimm to create a goal for himself and then Dec (The Grinch) picked out Sean with a fabulous cross which he headed home magnificently. Having already found the net in pre-season young Sean really does know how to finish and I've got a bullseye that says he and Noel out-score JP and Steve over the course of the season. Who wants some?

Other pluses included Sean Clifford's man of the match performance at right back, reducing a talented player like Martin Murphy to a bit-part role and Tim crashing to the ground like a dying bulldozer following one particular header. Next week provides a quick opportunity to put right some quite serious wrongs in the county cup, while training Thursday will be at least as intense as previous weeks. Do 1.