A “DEVASTATED” MICK O’DOWD didn’t even try to put a positive spin on Meath’s Leinster football final defeat.
Having been written off as no-hopers by pundits and punters all week, the Royals gave Dublin their toughest test of the Championship summer so far.
But in front of 54,485 in Croke Park it was the Dubs who once again emerged victorious and clinched the Delaney Cup for the eighth time in the last nine years.
“I’m devastated,” O’Dowd said after the 2-15 to 0-14 defeat. “After losing a Leinster final, how do you think I am?
We didn’t come here to get a heartening display, we came here to win a Leinster title and we didn’t do it. Our first half showed what we wanted to do, our second half didn’t.
Paul Flynn’s goal after just four minutes should have been a sucker punch but it didn’t knock Meath out of their stride and instead they went in to the break two points in front.
Although Dublin roared to life in the second half Meath hung tough and were only three points down when Paul Mannion killed the game with a second goal on 59 minutes.
The difference in quality between the sides really showed when Dublin pulled away in the final 15 minutes, O’Dowd said.
“We have to get used to performing against teams of the calibre of Dublin. That’s the first time we’ve done it this year but we were really looking forward to that challenge.
“They’ve been playing all year against teams of a similar standard to themselves, we’ve just been playing them today. That’s our first step up to that standard today.
In fairness we were under a bit of pressure for most of the second half but in the last 15 minutes, that’s probably when the teams that are used to playing at that intensity can kick on and win games. We weren’t able to do it.
O’Dowd now faces the challenge of rallying his troops ahead of their Round 4 qualifier in a fortnight’s time. On the basis of yesterday’s gutsy display there aren’t many counties who will fancy meeting them when the draw is made this morning.
“I’m sure there are a lot of positives from that display but right now it’s hard to go through it because we’re pretty hurt.
“It’s a Leinster final, there was a cup on offer out there, it’s Dublin; we came up to win it, we didn’t come up to see how we’d get on against them.”
