Burke: ‘We’ll be playing a more positive style’

< SEAMUS DUKE

Roscommon manager Davy Burke has pledged that the long-term plan for his team is to play a more positive style of football than was in evidence in last weekend’s dour FBD League final.

Roscommon’s hopes of early-season silverware were dashed by Kevin McStay’s Mayo in a tense, dour and very defensive game played at the NUIG Connacht GAA Air Dome last Friday night.

Afterwards, Burke told the Roscommon People: “We played well for long periods of time…no goal conceded. So you’d have to be happy enough overall, in that defensively it was decent – but going the other way it wasn’t great. 90 per cent of our wides were scoreable, I’d say. Look, we probably put an emphasis on defence this week, you probably saw a bit of that tonight. Maybe we didn’t manage the scale right, but for me I’m happy enough overall”.

Burke said the plan had not been to be “as negative” and to “go backwards all the time”, quipping that he will be trying his best to get that approach “out of the lads”.

“I look for a bit more positivity myself, but you have to be pragmatic too, I understand that. You can’t be kicking the ball when there are 15 men behind the ball, but I would like to see a better, more offensive plan going forward”.

So is the new manager happy with progress since his appointment? “Happier, I’d say. There’s a huge amount to work on. That was a glorified challenge match on an artificial surface in the middle of Mayo somewhere…so let’s not get too mad. We lost by four points, I don’t think any manager should be too happy with that. We had 12 wides, and we played with a man down for ten minutes as well (black card). Look, ultimately we’re getting better, there’s no doubt in my mind we’re getting better. We’ve a bit of quality to add in – a bit of competition. The big thing is that nobody on that team is safe because I fervently believe that it’s the downfall of every team. You have to have competition for places”.

Burke was reflecting on one of the lowest scoring inter-county matches played at the venue since it opened, a game in which defences were very much on top, both sides funnelling players behind the ball when not in possession.

The first half was a particularly hard watch. Mayo, slightly better in attack, went in 0-5 to 0-2 ahead at the break. They led 0-3 to no score by the time Niall Daly got Roscommon’s opening point in