Stephen Kenny Post Final

"From our point of view we would have liked to have created more but that is easier said that done.

Stephen Kenny commented to the press after the final:-

"The club hasn`t won a trophy in just under 40 years so to play as well as we did and lose was disappointing.The players applied themselves as well as they did but were disappointed to lose the game.I can`t say any one player didn`t do well on the day.What you are looking for when your players get to the big occasion is not to freeze, express themselves and be strong and fearless.

"Players have not to be too respectful of your opponents regardless of their reputations or things like that.  We achieved that in the first half crossed the ball really well and were brave.  We retained it well and had a couple of chances there wasn`t much in the game.We shaded it possibly first half but I think second half we defended brilliantly, the centre backs were exceptional.  Celtic had a couple of chances and we just had to hang in and try and win the game.

"I suppose Celtic aren`t double champions for nothing.  We got beat in the end by a goal which wasn`t the best of goals from our point of view.  Nevertheless they are an excellent team.  You are thinking that maybe you could win it or take it to extra time.

"Apart from a couple of crosses and a one v one that was about it.  From our point of view we would have liked to have created more but that is easier said that done.  When you take into account that a lot of players haven`t played in a while because we were forced to make changes, but I`m not making that as an excuse.  What I am saying is that some of those players ran out of legs but they didn`t run out of heart.  The effort was as much as you could have asked.  Players were terrific really they gave everything.

"They had a little bit of pressure and made a substitution.  We tried to get Adam (Hammill) into the game.  He was in the game a couple of tries in the first half but couldn`t get into the second half.  We wanted to get him into the game and cause Celtic one or two problems but probably didn`t materialise like we wanted, but we tried our best.  We had a couple of chances that we didn`t take as well and maybe a shout for a penalty in the first half, but overall I can`t really complain, we were beaten by a strong team..

"It was a great chance really.It is my intention to keep the core of the group, to remain together, put a strong side together to challenge next season but that`s for another day."

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