What they said ... the football weekend in quotes

March 09, 2015

Down supporter Ryan Gretna. INPHO

"Disgusted. I'm disgusted. Not taking anything away from Mayo but they got a jammy goal and every decision going."

For the second week running, Derry boss Brian McIver was vocal in his criticism of the referee.

"We wouldn't have been happy with how open we were in the first half. We didn't do what we were supposed to do. In the second half, we were particularly flat so you wouldn't be happy with that either."

Eamonn Fitzmaurice was at a loss to explain Kerry's 11-point loss to Munster rivals Cork.

"It was a good performance, a lot of things went very well for us. At the same time, we are in the second week in March, this time 11 months ago in Tralee, the same thing."

Recent experience has taught his Cork counterpart Brian Cuthbert not to get too carried away with a comprehensive league win over Kerry.

"Supporters want to see good football, however that may be portrayed. People see different qualities in what they're looking at. I wouldn't think that there is any one script, 'This is how the game should be played'. The game will be played as it needs to be played. If people like that, they'll come along; if they don't they'll vote with their feet and won't be there."

Mickey Harte defended his team's style of football in the wake of their draw against Dublin.

"We see it in other sports at the elite level where it can be very strategic and tactical and it's about holding onto possession and not conceding territory. Gaelic football has evolved that way. It might come back the other way."

That's the way gaelic football has gone according to Jim Gavin.

"That type of win is good for the morale and it gives belief that, even when their backs are against the wall, they never stop. It's not so much how you get knocked down, it's about how you get back up again and that's what they proved today."

Jim McCorry and Down are perched proudly on the top of the Division 2 table.

"There was a big breeze there so I wouldn't read too much into us being six points up at half-time. For me the most disappointing thing is that we ran through Down at times and just didn't finish it off. I'd be surprised if there wasn't five or six clear goal chances we missed."

Galway's unbeaten run came to an end and Kevin Walsh rued some missed scoring opportunities.

"We were delighted with the character they showed today, the way they've bounced back from last week and now we have to get the same again. A defeat today and we'd have looked in relegation trouble, but now there are a lot of teams around the same number of points so it's all to play for."

It's all to play for in Division 1 and Monaghan and Malachy O'Rourke are right in contention.

"We just couldn't get through Monaghan. We were too lateral and conservative the way we played the game. Monaghan's tails were up and they deserved their win. They were the more intense team. We couldn't get to the pitch of the battle and we're very disappointed with that."

Donegal manager Rory Gallagher had no complaints following their two-point defeat.

"It was important in the second-half that we drove on and upped the pace of the game. We moved it inside well and we knew that our forwards had the beating of their men in general and the goals were killer scores."

Meath boss Mick O'Dowd was pleased after his team outscored Westmeath by 3-7 to 0-3 in the second-half.

"Obviously promotion was something we were chasing at the start of the year but this league is difficult and a lot of our players are young. We started with five U-21s and they're playing a lot of football."

Peter Creedon and Tipperary kept their slim promotion prospects alive with a six point victory over Clare.

"We created a lot of chances but our finishing was not good. Still we conceded two goals in a two-minute spell late in the first half after we had gone five points in front. That left us battling for the remainder of the game but we'll take the victory. It's our first so it should give the players confidence."

Wexford secured a first league win since David Power took over as manager.

"To come here and go toe-to-toe with Armagh tells us a lot about ourselves and hopefully what we're capable of further down the line."

Fermanagh are making progress under Pete McGrath.

"We had loads of chances but Fermanagh came back at us well. Maybe we lacked that wee bit of know-how in the dying moments of the game but if someone had said we'd be top after four games, I'd have taken it."

Armagh and Kieran McGeeney remain in pole position Division 3.


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