"We couldn't play any poorer than we played in the first-half. One thing about the group, they have a lot of pride, they understand the responsibility they have playing for Mayo. That performance in the first-half was very 'stand-offish', it was everything we hadn't asked for."

Stephen Rochford demanded a response from his Mayo players and he got it in the second-half in Tralee on Saturday evening.

"The balance of experienced players to inexperienced players certainly got stacked towards the latter in the second-half and that can happen. You're playing a very battle-hardened outfit."

Rochford's Kerry counterpart Eamonn Fitzmaurice was forced into making changes.

"The never-say-die attitude was pleasing. When you are a manager or a coach you look for your team to give absolutely everything. I thought our boys did that in the first half and the second half, and after a number of setbacks they still ground it out."

Donegal's fighting spirit was vital as far as Rory Gallagher was concerned in their minimum margin victory over Roscommon.

"Niall just wasn't happy with that situation. I cannot guarantee anyone on the starting 15 a jersey. So he has taken a bit of time off to reflect on whether he wants to come back and fight for his place on the team."

Kevin McStay's door remains open for Niall Daly if he wants to commit to Roscommon.

"It's never over until it's over. No matter how many points you are up against Dublin you always know that you are under threat."

Mickey Harte and the Red Hands were caught on the line in Croke Park on Saturday evening.

"Five points down, missed a penalty and they could have said 'to hell with this, it's a cold, windy night in Dublin and I'd prefer to be somewhere else', but they showed great mental character once again, great mental resolve and particularly for the players that came into the game."

It's now 31 games unbeaten for Jim Gavin and the Dubs.

"You want effort, you want intensity from Cavan, you got it today. The only thing we didn't do right was we didn't kick it over the bar. We had enough chances to probably win two games but we didn't take them. That's what we go to training for - we have that to fix. Otherwise, I'm absolutely delighted."

Mattie McGleenan will put his Cavan players through some shooting drills at training this week.

"If it didn't work for us today it would have been the usual, 'Ah yeah Kildare were very good last week and now they are back to themselves this week', so I think we proved a lot of doubters wrong. But the most important thing is we proved to ourselves we are moving in the right direction."

Kildare and Cian O'Neill are perched proudly at the top of the Division 2 table.

"We had five from 15 scoring chances in the second half. You can't win games like that and that's the bottom line. The lads know that and we'll review that. Five from 15, when you have the wind that's just not good enough. We have to start improving and improving fast."

Peadar Healy lamented Cork's profligacy in front of the posts.

"It was a disappointing result for us. We had a very strong second-half but we just couldn't get in to get the goal."

Down came away from Ennis empty-handed and Eamonn Burns' side needs to get results fast if they are to avoid the drop to Division 3.

"I said, 'Why should you worry about Diarmuid Connolly?' Let Diarmuid Connolly worry about you. You get an opening, you go for it. Put him on the back foot."

Chrissy McKaigue took Slaughtneil selector John Joe Kearney's words of advice on board!

"Colm has been fantastic for us all through the years and you know, obviously he's 33 years of age now but it would be great for Colm if we could get up the steps of Croke Park. But look that's another day's work."

An All-Ireland Club medal would be a fitting reward for Colm Cooper's commitment to Dr Crokes according to selector Harry O'Neill.

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