Meath manager Robbie Brennan disappointed following defeat
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness and Meath manager Robbie Brennan shake hands after the final whistle. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
By Paul Keane
A tough day at the office. Meath manager Robbie Brennan could only shrug and accept that the better team won though he maintained that his team has a lot more to offer than they displayed at Croke Park.
Brennan said that losing experienced midfielder and former captain Bryan Menton to an injury after just 20 minutes was a giant blow. He pointed too to the 'weapon' that Donegal possessed in goalkeeper Shaun Patton who was so often the start of the Ulster champions' attacks with his laser-like deliveries, two of which helped create goals.
"That's sport, isn't it?" acknowledged Brennan of the heavy All-Ireland semi-final defeat. "Obviously it's really disappointing when you have such a big crowd and a lot of atmosphere behind it and everything like that.
"It's disappointing, the manner of the defeat I suppose at the very end. Listen, Donegal was always going to be a hard nut to crack. That's the reality, they're a fantastic team.
"It's disappointing and disappointing for the lads really because I'm absolutely convinced we're better than that. What we left behind us in the first-half, scoring-wise, didn't give us enough of a platform then to even try to attack anything in the second-half.
"With the rules the way they are, there's so much space. If that momentum, that great buzzword now, goes against you, it's very hard to wrestle it back. They're so good at controlling the game, it's nearly impossible."
Menton finished the game on the sideline with a protective boot on his foot. His absence made a tough job all the more difficult for Meath.
"Bryan is an exceptional leader for us," said Brennan, who recalled the Ashbourne man this year after a two-year absence and started him in every single Allianz League and Championship game.
"One of the key things that he's so good at is organising around that back line and around the middle for us. There's no doubt he was a loss but you're going to lose guys at this level and you have to be able to replace them.
"I thought Conor (Gray) went in and battled really hard as well so it's not like we didn't have options there either. But it was certainly earlier than we would have liked."
Brennan suggested that it'll be a cracking All-Ireland final between Donegal and Kerry. Despite Meath not being there, they will reflect on a positive first season under Brennan who guided the county to Championship wins over Dublin, Kerry and Galway, and to a first All-Ireland semi-final since 2009.
"I want to keep that in our lads' heads, that we're better than we showed there today," said the former All-Ireland winning club manager with Kilmacud Crokes. "We've a lot of work to do but we had a lot of work to do whether we won today or not.
"We've got to look at fitness and make sure we keep up to the level off-season, so when we come back in December, or whenever we're allowed back, that we're not behind the curve.
"There's a brilliant group there, a brilliant squad, and there's more to come back into it. Hopefully, please God, injured guys will come back and one or two away on travels will be back, so you just hope that pushes us on again, pushes up another notch."
