Jim McGuinness explains crucial schedule factor which helped lead to extra-time loss

It's a fair point.

It finished 2-26 to 2-22 at Croke Park, after Michael Murphy had levelled proceedings with the last kick of normal time.

Following the loss, manager Jim McGuinness explained the chaos of extra-time, and trying to find the energy to get over the line.

He said: "We got beat last weekend (against Cork), that will always have an impact on a group, and we just said that this one is going to be a battle. If it's a battle, it's a battle. If things go well for us, then things go well for us, but expect to be in a battle.

"So there was nobody thinking anything other than that and in extra time, going into the last phases of the game, you're just trying to stay in the game and manage the game.

"But it does become...it's not a game anymore, it's just chaos. You're trying to get fellas in, you're trying to get fellas out, who has got what in the tank? You're trying to manage a multitude of things at that stage. There's so much up in the air.

"All control is gone, if you want a better word, all control is gone."

While he magnanimous in defeat, McGuinness did say that the packed schedule was a big factor in his side's lack of energy in extra-time.

He added: "I don't want to take away from Dublin in the same way I don't want to take away from Down, but there's no real training going on, that's the reality, I don't think there's any real training going on in any county.

"Players are trying to get a wee bit done here and there.... you never really know where you stand."

"The last time I was in this job you would have three weeks or four weeks between a game."