Fitzgerald calls on fans to keep the faith

Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald has urged the Waterford public to continue to get behind his players after the Deise slumped to a deflating 23-point loss to Kilkenny.

The Deise troops have given huge commitment and dedication this season, particularly since Fitzgerald took over as Waterford manager in June.

And the two-time All-Ireland winner from Clare believes that these players deserve the full backing of the Waterford public as they try to bounce back from their final drubbing.

'It's important that the Waterford people give them support. There is nothing worse than the way that they feel inside in that dressing room now, so there isn't,' Fitzgerald said after the game.

'They have worked hard and trained hard, trust me that arena outside is the hardest place to be when things aren't going right for you.'

Fitzgerald was unable to pinpoint where it all went wrong for his side, on a day when the Deise's first All-Ireland final appearance since 1963 ended in tatters.

'I believed coming up here today that we were going to win. If I didn't I'd be no good to the lads inside the door. Ask me to explain what happened...I can't.'

And the Sixmilebridge native was quick to apportion some of the blame on himself when trying to find answers for his side's lacklustre performance.

'I did everything that I thought was possible and maybe I will have to look at myself and ask questions,' he conceded.

'Maybe I didn't prepare them right or whatever. I'll have to accept some of the blame, I am manager. I will not blame the boys whatsoever.

'They are good lads, they have given 10 years of unreal hurling some of them guys, and there are a lot of young guys coming on.

'Certainly if there's blame I don't mind taking it, and if lads want to have a go at me...they have been waiting in the wings probably for a while to. I'm there fine, but I've no regrets about the year I've had.'

The former Banner goalkeeper praised the Kilkenny team for the class they showed in winning their sixth All-Ireland this decade.

And he conceded that in this current form, he might have needed a combined all-Ireland selection at his disposal to get the better of the Cats.

'You know when your back is to the wall and they get a few scores and they are on top of you, there ain't no place to hide.

'When you ask the lads to go out and play with the freedom and passion and let yourself go and give it everything and you get behind after a while, it's fair hard. It's fair hard but you have to keep yourself going.

'I can tell you that at half-time it wasn't nice but we said we won't drop our heads, and I don't think they did.

'We didn't play to our potential and we know that, without a shadow of a doubt. Maybe ourselves and the rest of the country, if we had played to our potential, would have beaten Kilkenny today. They are an awesome team and we accept that so we do.'