Louth GAA: We were probably a little bit off it, says Grimes

After a hard-fought match at Croke Park, Louth forward Conor Grimes shared his thoughts on Donegal's performance and the outcome of the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Grimes expressed his team's confidence and determination, saying: “We didn't believe that this was going to be the end of the road for us. We had absolute belief that we could get over the line here today.”

However, the Glen Emmets clubman acknowledged that Donegal's experience and clinical finishing were decisive in the second half.

“But unfortunately we probably just ran out of a bit of steam there in the second half and they got on top of us. The top teams are clinical. We were probably a little bit off it. We probably didn't perform to our best particularly in the second half when Donegal punished us so fair play to them today.”

Reflecting on the Wee County's missed opportunities, the Tullyallen man credited Donegal's defensive strength while admitting his team's shortcomings.

“Full credit to Donegal they shut up shop. We probably weren't as slick or as clinical as we have been in previous games so yeah that is a disappointment on our behalf.”

He highlighted the chances the Reds created but failed to capitalise on, which ultimately proved costly.

“But look, we did create chances and we had opportunities to keep ourselves in the game and we just didn't take them.

“That is probably going to be the most disappointing thing going forward when we look back at the game but credit to Donegal they were good they were very strong out there today.”

Despite the defeat, Grimes looked back on the season with pride and optimism, appreciating the efforts of the new management team.

“It has been an impressive season and credit to the management coming in, it was no easy task coming in off the back of Mickey Harte and Gavin Devlin being there.

“It was no easy job for the management to have to come in and follow that. They managed to do an incredible job and back that up drive us on and make progress this year.”

He emphasised the progress made under the new leadership and the potential within the squad.

“There are huge positives within this group and that is definitely not the ceiling. There is a lot more in the group we know that and that is probably one of the most disappointing factors.

“We didn't probably deliver today but there are a lot of positives looking to the future. There is a lot more left in this group and we can definitely capitalise on that going forward.

“Look it was an All-Ireland quarter-final for us this year and we will be looking for more next year. That is this group, they are an ambitious young squad and we will be looking to push on next year.”
Looking ahead, the 30-year-old was confident that the experiences of this season would benefit the team in the future.

“This season will 100% stand to the team next year. If you think about the amount of games that we have played against and the opposition that we have played this year.

“During the early half of my career, you might only get two championship games in the knockout system whereas we are guaranteed to be getting five or six games now at least. All of them are against top opposition in the Leinster finals and the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland. It is a massive experience for the group.”

He pointed out the value of playing multiple championship games against top-tier teams, which provides crucial experience and helps in closing the gap with leading teams like Dublin and Kerry.

“To be getting six or seven championship games under their belt every year and look, we are definitely learning. You can see that from all of our results.

“We are closing the gap on Dublin, we are closing the gap on the Kerry teams so it is massive that we are able to close the gap to get that experience into the squad. Especially at such a young age, it is really massive for them.”
Grimes also praised the unwavering support from the fans, noting their significant impact throughout the season.

“The support that we have gotten has been absolutely unbelievable. The connection that we have with the group I have never seen anything like it before.

“The connection that we have with the supporters you see the same faces after all of the games coming out onto the pitch it feels like you know them personally at this stage. The support has been phenomenal and we just want to keep having big days out, keep them coming back, and keep them hungry for more.”

He expressed deep gratitude for the fans' consistent presence and enthusiasm, even in tough times, and talked about how they motivate the team to strive for more success in the future.

“They were brilliant today even when the game got away from us in the second half they were still cheering every point and every tackle. They stayed with us all the way to the end and we just can't thank them enough as a player. It is phenomenal and it has really been unbelievable.”