Down too lightly’

of defence, was just not quick enough. That gives teams a chance to get everyone behind the ball and that is something you have to keep working on.

‘That sloppy hand-passing; if the passing is not accurate that is where you get turned over. Ultimately that is what cost us tonight.’

However, McEntee scotched any suggestions that Meath took their opponents lightly, in view of the turmoil that reportedly existed in the Down camp in recent weeks.

‘Anyone who thinks that Down is just going to roll over and let you beat them up here are doing a disservice to Down football with the tradition they have,’ McEntee continued.

‘Anyone who thinks that we thought that is doing us a disservice as well. That was not the case. You come up here, their backs are to the wall, you are going to get a reaction - we expected that.

‘Truth of the matter is, if we did our business we would have gotten something out of the game, but we didn’t perform to the level we would have liked to perform to.

‘The bottom line, we have Galway next week and if we start feeling sorry for ourselves there is only one outcome. You have got to roll up your sleeves, take it on the chin and try and be better the next day.’

There is the possibility that James McEntee, Padraic Harnan and Donnacha Tobin could be in contention to play some part against Galway, though Mickey Newman’s return is a little further back.

‘If you get those lads back you would like to think it would be a help,’ McEntee concluded.