Conor Laverty: ‘I couldn’t ask any more from those players’

Ulster Senior Football Championship: Down 2-6 v 0-13 Armagh, St Tiernach’s Park, Clones

DOWN may feel heartbroken after their last-minute defeat to Armagh in the Ulster semi-final, but they should go into the Tailteann Cup with their head held high, says manager Conor Laverty.

The Mournemen were, at times, the better side on Saturday, with some good scores and patient build-up play that showed a clear gameplan and faith in that plan from the players.

Laverty said that the players left no stone unturned in the build-up to the game, starting their preparation almost immediately after the Antrim game.

“We put a lot of time and effort into that game. Our lives went on hold for the planning since the Antrim game,” said Laverty.

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“We saw ourselves and totally believed in the gameplan of what we wanted but probably, coming down the straight, we didn’t tag on another few scores. That’s just what left us coming up short.”

Going into the semi-final, Armagh were the overwhelming favourites to secure a return trip to Clones on May 12, but Laverty felt that his side did themselves proud with the performance they put in to push the Orchardmen so close.

“What a battle from them [the Down team], you couldn’t ask for any more from any player, from one to 20 that was used, from any of the lads that have been involved in training in the past few weeks,” said Laverty, who will now start to prepare his panel for their Tailteann Cup campaign.

“I couldn’t ask any more of those lads, I’m heartbroken for them because I know what they’ve put in but it’s just that knack of the gameplan was there and it was very, very, very, very nearly came through.

“We know the areas we need to improve on and we’re working really hard at that.

“The players have really applied themselves to what we’re asking them but whenever it all boils down to it, if I’m asking my wee boy’s underage teams to go out, you always want them to do the jersey proud and I ask the lads that all week, just to go on and do the jersey proud.

“No-one, critics or not, would be able to argue that point, that those boys didn’t leave everything out on that field today.”

Laverty recognised the gulf in experience between the two sides and backed his side to have plenty more days like this.

“This is a young Down team playing against experienced opposition like Armagh.

“Playing against the better teams, that’s where you learn, it’s no good beating teams by seven, eight or 10 points, you’ll not learn anything from those games.

“Our boys will take a lot from that game, they’re heartbroken in that changing room.”

Although this is not the end of Down’s inter-county campaign, Laverty was adamant throughout this season that his team’s ambition was to be playing Sam Maguire football come the end of the Championship.

They will get another shot at the Tailteann Cup, having lost in the final to Meath last year, but Laverty still feels Down fans have much to be optimistic about.

Laverty said: “We know what we have to do going into the next competition and no disrespect, we put a lot of emphasis on playing Sam Maguire football this year coming into this game.

“We’ll show the next competition the utmost respect, we weren’t good enough to win it last year and we’ll get back now over the next few weeks, look at the game and ratify a few things, keep growing, keep working and learning because this is a Down team and I feel they’re on an upward curve.

“I think the future is very bright for these lads if they can have that application and that desire to show that heart in a Down jersey, I think that they can continue on that upward curve.”