Down ladies manager Colm Donnelly got to do something that he didn’t expect last day out, and he said that it is going to be of great help to the team going forward.
Against Clare in round three of the National League, he managed to play 27 players from his squad. They were leading 3-9 to 1-4 at half-time and that allowed the management to try out new players.
“It is rewarding when you can make more than one or two subs in a game. We felt that giving girls ten minutes [against Clare] was important for the group and for the atmosphere. It is something that we didn’t think that we could do at this stage in the league, but we played very well in the first half and we got the chance to run the panel in the second half.
“The girls are putting the effort in. We want them to know they are in the plans and they are being noticed. We felt that it was time that the girls deserved an opportunity to play a competitive game for Down. We don’t know what injuries are coming down the line. Girls need to be tested. A lot of the girls deserve the opportunity to start or make an impact for the group.”
Down were in a great position in that game and went on to win by 7-14 to 3-14. The win put Down in joint top position alongside Antrim and Louth, with all three teams on seven points.
Colm said: “I am most pleased about the attitude of the players in the first three games. They are willing to work really hard for each other. They can do the basics really well at a high tempo. I think that has been the key to the results over the last couple of weeks. Once we get the ball and are playing at our pace and our tempo, teams are struggling to stop that momentum.”
Colm Donnelly, who is in his second year in charge, said the team are focused on gaining promotion to Division Two, which has been a long-held ambition for the county. Down began their campaign with a draw against Louth, and he said there was no concern after that result.
“That was a messy morning. Venues were being cancelled. We were going from grass to astro in Louth. But if the Louth game was played for another five minutes, we would have won the game by two or three points.
“In saying that, we were rusty in the first half. We gave them a couple of soft goals and that kept Louth in the game.”
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