THEY MAY have lost, and the rules might not have seemed to work in their favour, but according to Frank Dawson, Down fans should feel positive about the county team.
Dawson, who is currently part of the U-20 coaching staff, watched Down lose to Roscommon at the weekend, 3-21 to 1-20, and concluded that the county can be a contender this year.
“People might have said that Division Two was too much for Down but on the evidence of yesterday, Down have a great chance of staying up.
“I think that they will take a lot of confidence out of yesterday although they were beaten.
“It was a positive for me that they were in the game and ahead with about 15 minutes to go. Then in the closing period, the experience of Roscommon and the elements were a factor.
“A seven-point defeat would sound like a hammering but it wasn’t. Fans and spectators are going to realise that score lines can be deceptive in terms of how games go.
“There were positives. It gave me confidence for the year ahead.”
One of the positives that Frank drew from the performance was how some players have benefited from the new rules.
“Odhran Murdock had a very effective game both inside and outside,” Frank said.
In the full piece Frank goes on to explain why exactly Murdock impressed him and who else played well, but he also points some aspects of the play that will have disappointed Conor Laverty.