Pádraig Amond Column: Football doesn’t always give you what you deserve

 Right now, it hurts.

There's no point pretending otherwise. Standing there and watching another team lift the trophy you dreamed of winning is one of the worst feelings in football. I've experienced highs and lows in my career, but losing a cup final never gets any easier.

An hour after the final whistle, the disappointment is still raw. The dressing room is hurting. The supporters are hurting. Everyone connected with Waterford FC is hurting.

But despite all of that, I'm incredibly proud.

I'm proud of every player who wore the jersey this season. I'm proud of the manager and his staff. I'm proud of everybody behind the scenes. Most of all, I'm proud of the supporters who turned Dublin blue.

Walking out at the Aviva was one of the most special moments of my career. Seeing that sea of blue, hearing the noise, looking up into the stands and seeing families, children and lifelong supporters sharing that moment together, it honestly took my breath away.

We wanted so badly to deliver for them. That's probably what hurts most.

I genuinely felt we deserved more from the game. We created chances. We pushed. We fought. We gave everything. On another day maybe a bounce goes our way, maybe a shot drops in, maybe a decision falls differently.

Football doesn't always give you what you deserve. Sometimes it rewards you. Sometimes it punishes you.

Today, it punished us. But I refuse to let this be the end of the story.

People spoke all year about what this group could or couldn't achieve. We had what felt like an impossible mission at times. Yet we kept going. We kept believing. We reached a cup final. We brought thousands upon thousands of supporters to the Aviva. We gave people memories.

That matters.

I keep thinking about all the young supporters I saw on the journey up to Dublin. The kids in Waterford jerseys. The excitement on their faces. Hopefully today inspires them. Hopefully a few of them were sitting in the stands dreaming of being the next Waterford player to lead this club out on a big day.

If that's the case, then something important was built today.

I know people saw me gathering the players together before the second half. That wasn't about me. That was about reminding everyone that we're one group.

Not just the starting eleven. Not just the squad. Everybody.

The supporters in the Aviva. The fans back in the RSC. The people watching at home. The Waterford people living abroad. We're all part of this football club and we're all trying to push it forward together.

That's why this hurts so much. Because we care. But caring is also what drives you to go again.

As difficult as it is to say after a defeat, part of me is already thinking about next season. Part of me already wants another chance. Another opportunity to get this club back to an occasion like this and hopefully finish the job.

Sometimes people say you have to lose one to win one.

I don't know if that's true.

What I do know is that experiences like this can make you stronger if you let them.

We'll use this pain as fuel. We'll use it as motivation. And we'll remember exactly how this feels.

People will come and go. That's football. There will be changes. There always are. But the foundations at this football club are strong.

The manager has been an unbelievable leader for us. Every player in that dressing room believes in him. Every player would run through a wall for him. What he's built here is special and I genuinely believe there are exciting days ahead for Waterford.

Today wasn't the ending we wanted. Today hurts.

Today will hurt for a long time. But this club has shown throughout its history that it keeps getting back up. We'll do the same again.

To every supporter who travelled, who sang, who believed and who dreamed with us, thank you. I'm sorry we couldn't bring the cup home.

But this is a promise. We'll be back. And when our day comes, it'll make all of this heartbreak worth it.