What they said ... the weekend in quotes

April 14, 2014

A young Dublin fans crosses his fingers as Dublin prepare to take a penalty. INPHO
"Maybe we should introduce a handicap system to give teams a chance. Give Meath a fifteen point start, maybe Cork ten points."

RTE pundit Colm O'Rourke puts forward a novel suggestion as to how other teams might be able to compete against the Dubs.

"Just a lack of focus in some technical areas that is hurting us and when you play against a good side like Cork, they are always going to punish you."

Jim Gavin says Dublin's inconsistency is a concern ahead of the championship.

"Derry are playing super football this year. We're well aware of that. We went up to Derry and we found out all about it, so it's going to be a big game in two weeks."

Dublin's midfield dynamo Michael Dara Macauley has turned his sights on Derry.

"You could see when the game was in the melting pot, their class, experienced players stood up and were counted. At the same time, Dublin had the facility to bring on Bernard Brogan, Eoghan O'Gara."

Cork boss Brian Cuthbert tries to make sense of how his team coughed up a 10-point second half lead.

"Overachieved? You in the media might think that but I wouldn't say that we have over-achieved. We are just going about our business the way we want to go. We set ourselves targets that we want to reach and we are getting there."

Derry selector Paul McIver - who deputised along the sidelines for his suspended father Brian - wasn't surprised by the Oak Leaf County's performance against Mayo.

"Our work-rate and preparation must have been a little bit off today because we were flat in a number of things, we need to have a serious review."

It's back to the drawing board for James Horan and his Mayo players ahead of their Connacht SFC opener against New York.

"There's a lot of character in the team. I just felt it would have been a regret for them if they hadn't performed in the second half because we've been through a lot together,."

Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice sings the praises of his Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne players following their Hogan Cup final victory over St Pat's, Maghera on Saturday.

"At the end of the day, we didn't make the rules. We probably shouldn't be getting the second chance today. Kerry should be up and I make no bones about that but we didn't make the rules coming into the league and I'm very grateful for that second chance."

Brian Whelahan was a relieved man in Semple Stadium on Saturday.

"Try and win the Christy Ring and build on it from there, then we try and make the step into 1B."

The Christy Ring Cup top the list of priorities for Whelahan's Kerry counterpart Eamonn Kelly.

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