John Cleary 'happy' with performance but 'frustrated' with result as Cork beaten by Down

Cork squandered a 10 point lead and were narrowly beaten in Newry on Sunday.

DOWN BUT NOT OUT: Cork manager John Cleary during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Down and Cork at Páirc Esler in Newry, Down. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Happy with the performance, frustrated with the result was John Cleary’s assessment of Cork’s nail-biting defeat to Down.

A 10-point lead is no longer a 10-point lead in Gaelic football and so it proved as the visitors’ advantage in Newry vanished inside the first 15 minutes of the second half.