Down captain Graham Clarke was accentuating the positives after his side's narrow Ulster SHC final loss to Antrim. While disappointed with the outcome, Clarke believes the game was excellent preparation for Saturday week's Christy Ring Cup final against Carlow. "Certainly, the finish of the game was bitterly disappointing from a Down point of view, but it's not all doom and gloom," he said. "Our aim at the start of the year was to win the Christy Ring Cup and we are through to the final of that in two weeks' time against Carlow at Croke Park. We have just got to lift ourselves up for that game and get on with it." The Ballygalget clubman reckons Down won't get the credit they deserve for running their old rivals so close: "People will be saying that Antrim's class showed in the end, but we wouldn't say that. "We believe that the best team lost on the day. We have classy players throughout our team, too, but we can only manage two or three players on the Ulster team. "That was a motivating factor for us today. I'm motivated in trying to get my place back on the Ulster side and that goes for many of the lads. We want the recognition that we deserve." Tweet

Most Read Stories