McCartan managing expectation as Down wary of Lilywhites
The two-time All-Ireland winner only took charge last September, succeeding Ross Carr in the role of manager after a summer in which Down had lost to Fermanagh in Ulster and Wicklow in the qualifiers.
“Down haven’t been at this stage for a long time but every game that we went into this year, we felt we could win,” said the man popularly known in his native county and beyond as ‘Wee James’.
“I felt we could beat Kerry but then I kept having to pinch myself, to tell myself to catch myself on. When we did the match-ups man for man, we felt that we had a good chance of winning it. Nothing has changed against Kildare.”
It is a welcome return to higher altitude for a county that has long been painted as one of football’s blue bloods.
But McCartan is quick to point out that Down have won nothing yet. Though their stay in the championship will outdo Tyrone’s by four weeks at the very least, Mickey Harte’s side are sitting at home with Ulster medals.
Down clearly have a lot of work to do before they can collect such baubles but they have clearly benefited from that provincial semi-final loss to Tyrone in Casement Park back in mid-June.
“We probably learned from that period in the first half whenever things were going swimmingly and then things were going poorly and confidence ebbed out of the team.
“We talked about that and pledged that it wouldn’t happen again. Where I saw that most was when Kerry got their run of I think four points and the disallowed handpass (goal).
“When Tyrone got that period of domination we weren’t able to respond to it but Marty Clarke got the ball and stuck over a 50 (against Kerry). Then the point directly after that kick-started us again and we scored another two before half time. Every team is going to get their period of domination and we were able to come back from it.”
It may be nothing but it is interesting to note that Down’s only two defeats this year came against Tyrone and Armagh – in the Division Two league final – and that Kildare have embraced a similar style of play under Kieran McGeeney.
McCartan, for one, isn’t reading anything into that. Nor does he believe that there are any lessons to be learned from Down’s trip to Newbridge on the opening weekend of the NFL season. The visitors departed that Sunday evening with an 11-point win. Much has changed since, particularly on the Kildare side, if McCartan is to be believed.
“It was at the press conference afterwards that I remember telling the hordes that I hoped we wouldn’t meet that team again because I know Mssrs McGeeney and (Aidan) O’Rourke well, and I knew they could use that game as all the motivation they need to put one over on us again.
“Looking back at the programme, I think there are only six or seven of that (Kildare) team left and maybe only one of them in the same position so they are transformed from league, the first round of the championship and the first round of the qualifiers.
“They have made changes week on week and upped their performances week on week so we are certainly not looking back on that game. It’s a transformed Kildare team.”
Down, in contrast, have been remarkably consistent, no more so than at the back, where their much-criticised defence has managed to limit their opponents to an average of just over 12 points per game all year.
Only Armagh managed to evade their shackles by claiming 17 points in that league decider. Donegal have been the only side to score more than one goal against them and they came in a six-minute salvo.
“We decided amongst ourselves that our defence wasn’t going to be held up to ridicule in Kildare before we went out and we were going to work harder and defend from the front. People have done that all year. There has been nothing spectacular put into play, systems or any of these sweepers or anything. We just have guys who are prepared to work hard all over the field. When they get a setback they get up and go on again. Sometimes Down teams suffer a setback and don’t (do that). That happened this year against Tyrone but I think we have identified that and rectified it now.”
