Two from three, as they say, ain’t the worst and Andy Moran was taking the positives from Mayo’s showing in Letterkenny.
Watching his side come off 0-11 to 0-5 and about to face a stiff wind in the second half, Mayo might well have folded, although their manager could see the chinks of sunlight through the clouds as he gathered his thoughts afterwards.
In the end, Donegal made it home on a 1-19 to 0-14 scoreline and Moran was a bit happier in the end when compared to the midpoint, where he felt the inability to get shots off meant they suffered because of Donegal’s squeeze.
“We didn’t play well and we got a bit cut,” he said of the opening 25 minutes, when his team were 0-7 to 0-2 down.
“After that first 25 minutes, we played well. We didn’t have a shot in those first 10 minutes. It took us some time to settle in. We could’ve done with one of those Covid water breaks. What are you looking for in that second half was a bit of a fight. We managed to make four of five goal chances. They put a bit of pride in the jersey.
“We did well in that second half and only lost it by two points. But you need to wipe away those first 25 minutes. They’ll be disappointed but it’s February, but we’re trying to build something. We had Sigerson and Trench this week and were missing a lot of players. Paddy Durcan and Conor Loftus made a big difference.”
Moran admits he shares a weekly call with Monaghan boss Gabriel Bannigan, but with them about to meet in week four, they will give it a miss this week.
“There will be no phone call this week,” Moran said. “I was with them, and I know what they’re about. I rate them very highly, as I was with them. They will give it everything. It’s a huge game for us now.”
