For Kinawley manager, Adrian Diver, there was no hiding from the fact that Kinawley were beaten by a better side last Sunday.

St. Sylvester’s of Dublin just had too much quality for the Ulster champions.

For Diver and his players it is the level they aspire to reach if they are to reach the very top.

“We were kind of talking about it afterwards, if you had been beaten by a point and thought you might have had a good chance or whatever you would be a bit gutted but I don’t think we were really that close to them the whole game,” said Diver.

“I think we just came up against a really strong outfit and I suppose that is what we need to look to in the future.”

St. Sylvester’s hit two goals in the first six minutes and there was no way back for Kinawley as they could not contain the likes of Sinead Aherne, Kate Sullivan and Nicole Owens.

“We knew how good they were but we didn’t want to go change our own gameplan too much either because it is very difficult to do that.

“You’re playing well over the year, you have got a system that works and that won you an Ulster title.

“Then to change that going into a game like that there where you go super defensive, we didn’t want to do that.

“But at the same time that was maybe a bit naïve and we maybe need to get the balance right.”

Looking back at the first goal, scored by Aherne, Diver felt it showed the quality of the St. Sylvester’s full forward: “

“When you are going up there you are travelling, you are underdogs you need to score the early goal really. You can’t let a goal in after 60 seconds.#

“I looked at that and thought how did that happen? We had the players back, we did have her marked it was just sheer class.”

The clinical nature of St. Sylvester’s compared to Kinawley was a standout feature in the game.

The Boru’s did have chances, and while Diver does not believe they were enough to win the game, they were enough to put them under pressure.

But while St. Sylvester’s scored with relative ease at times, Kinawley struggled: “After those two goals we did get a wee purple patch where we got a little bit more joy.

“But they were happy enough to concede possession but then they pressed you really hard when you got up to the scoring zone.

“We had a few shots dropped short or went wide where the girls were taking shots under serious pressure.

“Everytime they went up the park they scored whereas we were not clinical enough.”

For Diver and his side, it is the end of a memorable year and he has no excuses for the result.

“They were by far the better team on the day and I suppose we need to look at them and figure out how they do what they do and try and match that or better that for next year. All in it has been a brilliant season. It has been historic. The girls have been outstanding and everybody in Kinawley is very proud of them,”