Yes, fit’s a great feeling

PAUL Attfield praised his young players after they lifted the Dana Cup. An ecstatic Attfield said: The feeling is unbelievable because we took a relatively small and younger squad and I did feel the physical demands might be too much. But we managed to

PAUL Attfield praised his young players after they lifted the Dana Cup.

An ecstatic Attfield said: "The feeling is unbelievable because we took a relatively small and younger squad and I did feel the physical demands might be too much.

"But we managed to keep everyone fit and that was a key factor throughout the tournament. There wasn't one game we did not deserve to win.

"The penalty shoot-outs were tense but the lads had practised them thoroughly for days beforehand and even in front of large crowds they showed awesome composure.

"It was also a privilege to play six different nations in our eight games, but we stuck to our systems and intensity and that was where most teams struggled against us.

"The defining factor was the individual fitness levels that got us through the last two games and the intense training before the tour showed here that it certainly paid off."

Attfield also had praise for his support team at the competition. He said: "Special mention should be given to Neil and John Bitting and John McHale for executing the vigorous six-week training programme prior to the tournament.