Brennan looks to the future as Meath lament loss

There was a little moment as Robbie Brennan took his seat to face the assembled media under the Hogan Stand on Sunday and when he shook hands with the local press he utter 'f**k it anyway, sorry'.

The proffered apology was for not delivering an All-Ireland final day out for the supporters, but there was no need to apologise as Brennan and his team have reawakened the sleeping Meath giant.

"It's obviously really disappointing. When you've such a big crowd and a lot of atmosphere behind it, it's disappointing the manner of the defeat at the very end," said Brennan.

"Donegal were always going to be a hard nut to crack, that's the reality. They're a fantastic team, but it's disappointing for the lads, because I'm absolutely convinced we're better than that.

"It's the lads who've helped to fill Croke Park because of the way they've played and the bit of abandonment and freedom they've gone with, and the way they've approached the whole thing.

"I hope we've reawakened that drive and love for Meath football in the county because we've been crying out for it and today showed it, it was a complete sell-out.

"It's important we take that now and keep building that towards the future. We're not going to win every match, but we can't drop off now, we have to keep pushing on."

Brennan was left to lament the slew of missed opportunities in the opening half during which Meath kicked nine wides and were wayward with a number of decent two points attempts.

Bryan Menton's injury was another key factor in Meath's sub-par display, while the battle at the kickouts was also a problem area.

"What we left behind us in the first-half, it didn't give us enough of a platform then to even try and attack anything in the second-half. Then, with the rules the way they are, and there's so much space, if that momentum goes against you, it's very hard to wrestle it back. They (Donegal) are so good at controlling the game, it's nearly impossible.

"We said at half-time we have to go for this again. We felt we were very passive in the first-half, weren't getting much pressure on the ball and they were working their scores easier than we would have liked, so we said we'd go after it a bit more in the second-half, but obviously that does expose you a little bit and leaves it open.

"All year we've been going for it, and the same again today, it just didn't come off.

"Bryan (Menton) is the exceptional leader for us in all those things, as you'd expect him to be, but one of his key things is that he's so good at organising around that back line or the middle line for us.

"There's no doubt he was a loss, but if you are to lose guys at this level, then you have to be able to replace them. I thought Conor (Gray) went in and battled really hard as well, so it's not like we didn't have options there either, but it was certainly earlier than we would have liked.

"The kickouts were tricky. After 15 or 20 minutes we stopped moving for whatever reason. That meant we had to come short, but when you're not moving it can't be delivered. Obviously then Billy (Hogan) had to go long, and then you're down numbers at the break.

"So it was a double whammy of not having the movement and then obviously kicking it long. Against a team like Donegal, you have to be winning those metrics.

"I'm reluctant to use lack of experience (as an excuse). Obviously we've had plenty of experience out there (Croke Park) this year, and we've already played Dublin, Kerry and Galway, so it's not like we haven't mixed it with the top guns.

"It's just one of those days. Unfortunately, you don't want it to happen here on such a big occasion, but it's one of those days where we haven't done what we said we'd actually set out to do.

"So I wouldn't put it down to inexperience or anything like that. Once Donegal, or anybody for that matter, get a run on you it's very difficult to stop it."

While Donegal were clearly the better side, Brennan believes that his side made it easier for them than it should have been and he wasn't prepared to accept that nervous might explain the poor display.

"I think if it was our first time in here for a big game, you might say yes, but I think the fact it's our third big game in there, I don't think so.

"All credit to Donegal, they nullified two or three of our key threats and some of our good runners coming from deep, they had good match-ups on them.

"I'd say more credit to Donegal, more so than us maybe not delivering or fluffing our lines. It was difficult as the game wore on, you could see the belief drip out of the lads a little bit, but that's completely understandable when you're that far behind.

"We made it easy for them, that's the reality. We had plenty of chances in the first-half, and with that breeze, we should have taken away more. We had said it in the dressing room before coming out, that it was probably going to come down to efficiency, and ours was poor and Donegal's was exceptional.

"Our plan in the second-half was to push them on the two pointers. We assumed, with the breeze, they'd go for twos, but they still worked it and worked it and worked it, and it was goals they were looking for more than twos.

"They're a really good side, and it should make for a cracking final."

When the bones of the year are dissected Brennan and his management team will take the positives and build on the magnificent progress made this year.

"I want to keep that in our lads' heads, that we're better than we show there today, and we've a lot of work to do, but we have a lot of work to do whether we won today or not.

"We've got to look at the fitness and make sure we keep that up to the level off season so when we come back in in December or whenever we're allowed back, that we're not behind the curve, that's the reality.

"There's a brilliant group there, there's a brilliant squad, there's more to come back into it. Hopefully we'll get a few injured guys to come back and one or two that are away from their travels, so you just hope that that pushes us on again up another notch," concluded the disappointed manager.