The positive vibes are growing in County Down following the All-Ireland Group Three win over Clare at the weekend. That’s the analysis of well-respected coach Barney McAleenan, who was impressed by Down in what was their best performance in three matches.
After that win, he has noticed a change in attitude in the county. “Down people have expectation again, which is great,” Barney said. “We’re getting more confident. If you don’t have confidence, then you will find a way not to win. But we are getting more confident now.”
The optimism comes from having enjoyed a great day out in the first round proper of the All-Ireland Championship. Down had not played in the current incarnation of the championship since it was introduced in 2021. The last time they had played in an All-Ireland series competition outside of the Ulster Championship was their round two qualifier defeat against Mayo in June 2019.
At the weekend, they played a Clare team who had competed in Division Three and qualified for the All-Ireland series after reaching the Munster final.
Barney said, “It was a great win playing fantastic football. We moved the ball very quickly. There was a good mixture of kicking and off-the-shoulder running. There was also great depth and width, which created a lot of space for the pace of our runners. There were some great team scores, and I always think that team scores are more difficult to counteract, whereas individual plays are easier for the opposition to deal with.”
In the full story Barney explains why the county should feel confident going up against Louth in the next round.
