By Michael McMullan

DONEGAL manager Jim McGuinness pointed to his side’s lack of energy after Sunday’s exit at the hands of Down in the Ulster Championship.

The champions were eying a third successive title but were cut down by Conor Laverty’s side and their three second-half goals.

“The overall performance, our energy levels, our intensity levels they weren’t there,” McGuinness said.

“Down cut through us on many occasions there. I suppose, in the first half, we had a lot of the ball but we weren’t our usual selves in front of the posts. I think we were in the 30s (per cent) in terms of conversion rate and that’s certainly not us. We have a lot to think about.”

McGuinness felt Down were written off and it would’ve added fuel to their fire but his side weren’t ready for it.

With some players on their way back to full fitness having, having just returned to the fold, a priority is getting them “up through the gears” ahead of the All-Ireland series.

“We’ll have to take it on the chin,” McGuinness added. “That’s the bottom line, take it on the chin and re-evaluate it. We’ve got maybe four or five weeks now to get the heads round this and get the bodies right and go again.”

A goal from Caolan McGonagle pulled Donegal back from four points down to just trail by a point at half-time, Caolan Mooney’s point right on the hooter.

“Our kick-out was good actually,” McGuinness said of where they sat in the game. “Our transitional play wasn’t good, our established attack wasn’t good, our transition to defence wasn’t good and our established defence wasn’t good.

“All those things were off. Our kick-out was really good and kept us in the game in some respects because if we were in bother there, there were more transitional moments, there would’ve been more questions asked.

“We’re out of the championship and that’s it. There’re always two championships. We always take one on its own merits and then the next one. That’s what has happened. They’re worthy winners.”

Second chance

While Donegal got back to level terms, 1-15 each, with a Jason McGee two-pointer, it was Down who pushed on again.

“There was energy at that stage but not enough,” McGuinness said of having a second chance at the game.

“There just wasn’t enough energy to win the game. We would have stolen it in some respects if we had. We pushed reasonably hard in the middle of that half. We weren’t able to sustain it. When you’re not at yourself, that’s not going to work.

“For Ulster Championship football, you have to be at it from the first minute. If you look at Down and what they brought and the energy they brought, they were still in a very difficult situation with 10 minutes to go.”