Misses more damaging than Donegal’s late goal
MEATH manager Any McEntee was straight to the point after his side allowed victory slip from their grasp at MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey, last Saturday evening.
‘The players do understand that it was a good performance by and large, but in this business it is about results,’ McEntee said. ‘The bottom line is Donegal have four points and we have two. We have got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.
‘We did so many things right and many things well for long periods of the game and yet we came away from the game with nothing.
‘There was some very good team play and some excellent individual performances dotted all over the team, but we cannot get away from the fact that we failed to get anything from the game.
‘The general feeling was if Donegal didn’t score a goal they weren’t going to win the game. We lost sight of the runner who nipped in, while Andy (Colgan) wouldn’t we happy with the way he dealt with it either,’ McEntee continued.
McEntee also lamented missed chances at the other end.
‘It is not Mickey Newman’s usual return from a match. We had a number of shots from play after the goal, but we couldn’t take any of them. A cool head when needed most, we didn’t have it.
‘Our full back line was very decent, our half back line was very decent, at midfield we dominated for large periods. We finished with 14 points on the board - it wouldn’t have taken an awful lot more to finish with 18 or 20 points on the board.
‘We have got to learn from that. I don’t think heads dropped after the concession of the goal, but momentum is a huge thing. When you lose it, it can be very difficult to get it back again.
‘I do think we had a couple of chances after the goal and it didn’t happen for us and that was probably more damaging than the goal itself.’ THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7 Football A League at 8.0
Div 4: St Mary’s v Kilmainhamwood, A Lenehan.
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9
Simonstown v Donaghmore/Ashbourne, 6.0, C McManus.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10 Pairc Tailteann: Meath v Armagh, NFL Div 2, 2.0, R Hickey (Clare)
Football A League at 11.0
Div 1: Dunboyne v Moynalvey, A Smith; Summerhill v Skryne, Ratoath v Na Fianna, Padraic Coyle; O’Mahonys v Syddan, L O’Brien; Wolfe Tones v Gaeil Colmcille, P Mooney.
Div 2: Rathkenny v Meath Hill, D Smyth; St Patrick’s v Nobber, P Clarke; Dunderry v Ballinabrackey, L Reddy; Bective v Curraha, J Curran; Seneschalstown v Trim, H Whoriskey; St Michael’s v Duleek-Bellewstown, G O’Brien; Carnaross v St Colmcille’s, K Sheerin.
Div 3: Kilmainham v St Vincent’s; St Ultan’s v Blackhall Gaels, S O’Connor; Walterstown v Longwood; Ballinlough v Moynalty, M Dawson; Dunsany v Drumbaragh, M O Donnchu; Castletown v Ballivor, S Kerley.
Div 4: Boardsmill v Kilbride; Slane v Cortown, Drumconrath v Moylagh.