Durcan makes case for defence

Donegal goalkeeper Paul Durcan reckons the All-Ireland champions will need to rely more on their 2011 defensive template in their attempt to retain their provincial and national titles in 2013.

The Ulster side won few admirers two seasons ago for tactics which depended chiefly on mass defence but Durcan believes they must rediscover some of that solidity and stinginess if they are to hit the heights again next summer.

“In fairness to our forward play, it improved a bit but maybe our defensive side of things took a bit of a knock this year,” he explained in Dublin yesterday prior to this morning’s flight to New York with the All Stars. We need to maybe work on that again and raise the bar again.