The ​‘right mental attitude’ sets Down's standards says marksman Pat Havern

​Top scorer Pat Havern, who bagged 0-9 on the day knows there's no better feeling than a win in the opening group game, but it’s the manner of the 3-27 to 1-16 victory over Clare and the growth in the team that is most pleasing for the Saval marksman.

“The question was asked of us the last couple of weeks, especially after the Donegal game,” he told the Newry Reporter after the win in Ennis which came three weeks after that Ulster semi-final defeat to the team that went on to beat All-Ireland champions Armagh in the final.

“I think we had a good performance against them – I know we didn't get the win but I think maybe when we're playing against teams where we're maybe going in a underdogs we seem to perform that bit better. We're a wee bit more powerful on the ball and take the right chances.

“We’re more skilful and a wee bit more intent in our actions. But it seems to be the case that when we play teams where we are slightly favourites we seem to take our foot off the gas and think that we can get over the line just by doing the bare minimum. So, there is a real expectation of us and the manager put the question mark over us, can we go down to Ennis where Clare have a brilliant record and get the job done? We are sort of acting a wee bit more mature in our football. It's a two or three year journey we have now so it's time to put the foot down, act more mature and a wee bit more intense and that's what we're doing.”

An early goal certainly settled Down and bagging three was even sweeter.

“I think with the fast ground and the heat and the pitch being so big it sort of suited us. You have the boys who are very fast. We are athletic and strong so I think that running game suits us. So we knew when we got that wee bit of space we were going to be able to penetrate their defence with the space that there is now. We knew there would be goals but it's not a matter of will there be goal chances, it's if you can take them when they come.

“​The thing with Clare is they have a lot of marquee forwards like Eoin Cleary and Emmet McMahon who can strike from distance so we knew we had to be clinical and when we got our chances to put them away.

We knew there was going to be a purple patch in the game where they were going to get that wee bit of upward spiral, so we knew we had to take our chances when we could. We had the wind in the first half too.”

It wasn’t just up front that Down were strong. Although Clare to get a goal at the end of the first half, there were some wonderful blocks made to deny them more and goalkeeper Ronan Burns didn’t have too much work to do on the day in that department.

“It’s the defensive reaction,” felt Havern.

“It’s easy to go up the pitch and get on the end of ball and score a goal but it’s not so easy when you’re running back in that heat. So, you have to have the right mental attitude that if you can make the runs up the field to score a point or a goal, you have to be prepared to make the runs back down the field and get those blocks. That’s what great teams do and it’s just about cementing that and making that, as Lav [Conor Laverty] would say, making that our standard."

The Donegal defeat in the Ulster semi-final was of course a huge disappointment for Down as they did put it up to them but there were plenty of positives to take from the performance.

“It was a wee bit disheartening not getting over the line because when we watched the game back, we weren’t far away,” said Havern,

“There seemed to be a case where a lot of people thought, they’d not even travel to Clones because Donegal were big favourites but I think that maybe gave us that wee bit of edge. You want the crowds at the games and you want people following you. And you wouldn’t know, maybe if we were playing Donegal and there was a wee bit more of a crowd and there was a wee bit more hype when the game took that turn and if we had scored a few more of those chances that we had, you wouldn’t know what might have happened if you had a crowd behind you.

“I think that’s a big thing. I think after the Donegal game it was a wee bit disheartening because we played so well but it would have been nice to have had a wee bit more people there to push us on and help get us over the line.”

That will no doubt be the case in a couple of weeks when Down welcome Louth to Newry. The newly crowned Leinster Champions had a massive turn out for that final and since they pipped Down in their last National League Division 2 meeting that ultimately saw the Mourne County relegated, the home crowd will certainly be baying for a revenge victory.