McCartan's men go down with dignity

THERE ARE a few essential queries that only Down manager James McCartan can answer.

A few minutes after Sunday’s thrilling All-Ireland final, the Down panel broke from their huddle and walked towards the Canal End to be among the victorious Cork team that had just beaten them. It was a special moment and the Cork players were receptive to an act of sportsmanship that is almost lost in modern times where sponsorship and financial gain call the tune.

McCartan hoped the GAA do not use this “instinctive” act as another weapon to ram home the need to end pitch invasions (the big screen campaign when Seán Cavanagh asks us to think about our loved ones being crushed during a pitch invasion has been forceful enough).

“I have mixed feelings about that now – I know this is probably going to be a headline somewhere – because I don’t want the GAA to use that as a tool to ensure there is no more pitch incursions.

“It was an instinctive thing. In hindsight, I maybe would have wished it was a private thing and maybe I could have took one dressingroom into another dressing room.

“I know it probably is going to be used. It was a genuine thing. We wanted to lose graciously.”

Another talking point was the removal of Down’s most potent scoring weapon, Paul McComiskey, on 56 minutes for Ronan Murtagh.

“We had a strategy as regards time of substitutions. We talked about it for a couple minutes. Substitution B went in instead of substitution A. It wasn’t a major thing.

“It was the timing of it and it wasn’t a factor. The substitution was going to be made anyway.

“It was maybe a minute of a difference from what I wanted done. It is not an issue. I would love to be able to turn around and blame something for us losing that All-Ireland but it is fair to say that is not it.”

Murtagh comes on in every game so maybe it was just a case of replacing the most tired looking forward.

“The role that we are asking players to play in the half-forward line involves a lot of work. Fifteen minutes into the first half Danny Hughes was knackered so we put him into corner and pulled Paul out.

“So the role we are asking them to play involves a lot of work. Everyone knows that Conor Maginn is coming on, everyone knows that Nicholas Murphy was coming on and Derek Kavanagh and Colm O’Neill and Ronnie Murtagh.

“You just try to change things and obviously you don’t want to take a man off that is playing exceptionally well but you do want to change things because you are losing the game and you want to ask a different set of questions of the opposition. I think that is the only way I can answer that question.”

Finally, is Marty Clarke going back to Australia? “Quality is quality. One can only assume that they recognise when they see it.

“Marty is class. Of course they will be looking at him. We are just delighted to have him for the here and now. I do think it will be disappointing from a GAA perspective that probably one of its, well you like to assume one of its superstars, will be allowed to leave.

“I know he tries to keep the media at arms length. It is just a decision that he has made. Not only is Martin Clarke a very special footballer but he is a very special individual and any decision he makes as regards his future I will certainly respect it.”

* GALWAYmanager John McIntyre is set tonight to be reappointed for another two years as the Galway senior hurling team manager.

McIntyre’s name will go before a meeting of the Galway hurling board this evening and it is expected he will be given a new term, with his manager’s report having been favourably received earlier this month.

It is proposed that McIntyre will be appointed for a further two seasons but unlike his first term, the position will come up for review at the end of the first year.