'The bottom line is we came to win and we didn't so that's a disappointment'

NFL DIV 2 ANALYSIS Meath manager hoping to regroup ahead of stern examination in Inniskeen

From the lows of the third quarter against Cork to the highs of wins over Cavan, Down, Roscommon and Westmeath and back to the disappointment of the second-quarter wipe out against Monaghan it has been some roller-coaster for Meath manager Robbie Brennan.

Having blasted the new rules following the win over Westmeath two weeks earlier Brennan admitted that that rant was more of a deflection than a dislike of the new enhancements.

However, after Sunday's loss to Monaghan he did express his opinion that the two-point scoring option from outside the arc is one he is not too fond of - especially as Monaghan kicked five of them in the opening half to effectively end Meath's chances.

"There might have been a slight bit of deflection in some of the comments, in what I was saying," admitted Brennan. "The rules are the rules and ironically some of them are really good, that's the bottom line.

"My own personal one is that I don't like the two-pointer, I think that was the comment I was really getting at when I mention you turn on your phone on and you see 18 points (deficits in scorelines during games) and it happened today ironically, but that's it, those are the rules.

"We've just got to get on with it now and play to it, there's a lot of good ones in it.

"I love the three up, I loved the four (up amendment). I hated that you could go short all the time, it was boring as hell from a kick out perspective so there's a lot of good stuff in it but look it is what it is now we just have to get on with it.

"Obviously the five two-pointers (in the first-half) were probably the difference in the end, wasn't it? I think it was 10 points, so ultimately we didn't defend that well enough and that's what's cost us," said Brennan.

"Ironically Beggan coming up probably made it visually look like there was an extra player. Obviously there wasn't but it probably took a little bit of getting used to for our guys to squeeze out.

"So that was it, we didn't defend that well enough, we were sitting too deep in the arc and they put them over without much pressure on them really.

"The two point arc is the thing, that's what's driving all the scores (51 between the two sides on Sunday) I would imagine.

"There's nine (two-pointers) there today that make a big, big difference but that's the rules and that's what we have to play to now.

"It wasn't the rules that beat us today, it was the fact that we didn't defend the two pointers from the rules so that's on us, nobody else you know.

"I don't want to keep harking on about the two pointers but three two-pointers, or two two-pointers, and that's the momentum, that's what brings it.

"Two or three ordinary points is probably not that big of a swing but suddenly you're six, seven out and the gap just keeps going.

"I think if you're talking about momentum that's the big thing with the new rules and how you can get after it and we didn't deal with that. We stepped off, we were in too much of a low block in the arc and we just gave them free shots and they've players who can punish you then."

Brennan didn't use the lack of time to work on the changes to the new rules as an excuse.

"We probably had two sessions to get stuck in and now those changes aren't massive, it's just obviously 11 v 11 instead of 12 now.

"So we've done a lot of work on that, so it obviously was a slight change for us but it still didn't affect our attack.

"I still think we got plenty of opportunities out there and as I say really the defending side of things against two-pointers is what cost us.

"We were saying at half-time that we felt there was still an opportunity, if we could get at it. We created enough for probably two good goal chances, or certainly two chances anyway, but you've got to take them, that's the reality and then we were forced to push for twos at that stage and a couple of them came off but just not enough."

With Mathew Costello still working his way back from injury and Ronan Jones and Sean Coffey out injured Brennan was left to regret the ever-growing injury list. However, he still feels his side is still in the promotion hunt.

"The bottom line is we came to win today and we didn't so that's overall a disappointment. Obviously the Roscommon result (losing to Cavan) probably keeps things live heading up the road next week, but win or lose today we had a massive challenge heading up to Inniskeen and a few lads in that dressing room are not happy with how they went last year, so it's a big challenge for us and we can't wait to get up there.

"I think it could be maybe 10 hamstrings (injuries in the Meath camp) or something like that. The hamstrings aren't the hamstrings of old, there's letters after each one now so that extends the rehab time.

"Matty (Costello) is very close, very, very close and we were probably tempted maybe today, which would have been against medical advice so thank God we didn't in the end. We'll just have to see how the lads get through the week, hopefully one or two might get back."

Is the pace of the new game leading to more hamstring issues than usual, Brennan was asked.

"It's hard to know is the honest answer because I would say a lot of the guys who have those injuries, some of them probably carried them in from club and others would have histories of injuries and the recurrence rates of hamstrings are off the charts now. "It's that balance where lads are keen to get back and really trying to push.

"If they're not pushing hard enough they're probably not getting to the level they need to, but if they keep pushing you're in that balance of could they break or could they not. "We've a brilliant medical team, we've a brilliant S&C team so we're doing all we can."

One of Meath's biggest issues on Sunday was securing primary possession and even at the breakdowns Brennan's side were generally second best.

"It's definitely harder on your own kick out obviously, because teams are coming from behind and they're smashing it.

"You're forced to move obviously for your own kick out so you're probably pulling yourself out of position a little bit and trying to get maybe the short one and not go long and then when it is gone long you're out of position numbers wise on the break.

"There is a touch of a science about it for sure and a tactical thing in how you set up. Some of it is a lottery, that's the reality. If it goes your way we look great on the breaks, if it goes the other way then it doesn't (look great). There's definitely a bit of work to be done for us," admitted the Meath boss.