Tyrone Stand Tall in Ulster as Donegal Wilt

Donegal’s bid for a fourth Ulster title in six years ended in disappointment and of the three recent final defeats, this one hurt the most.

In a frenetic period of stoppage time, Peter Harte sent over a sensational point to put his side ahead after Donegal had led for almost the entire game. 

The previous decider losses to Monaghan had seen Donegal playing catch up throughout but it was roles reversed today as Rory Gallagher’s team looked accomplished for long spells and led by four at one stage.

After that lead was established though, Tyrone racked up a tally of 0-9 to their opponents 0-3. They were composed and patient in this spell and a far cry from what they were in the first half – erratic and ill-disciplined.

Donegal on the other hand had total belief in what they were doing early on. Chances were carefully created and taken. Ryan McHugh’s performance was simply stunning. He terrifies defenders with his pace so Tyrone stood off him to ensure he couldn’t run at or around them. With this space offered to him, the Kilcar man was quite happy to take on his shots and he made hay while they sun shone high in the Clones sky. It’s a sign of a footballer of the highest intelligence when he can read what’s going on around him and take decisive action in reacting.

Odhran MacNiallais had brought his shooting boots too and he helped his team into a three point half time, which was a fair reflection of how things had transpired.

Tyrone’s inside forwards hadn’t posed much of a threat and generally most of their scores would be expected to come from the counter attack. That left the Donegal full back line with the task of starting attacks rather than shutting down Tyrone’s. Neil McGee got on a huge amount of ball and carried with purpose into the opposition half of the field.

Donegal had kept their heads while Tyrone seemed to be losing theirs. Mattie Donnelly and Cathal McShane went off on black cards while player after player hacked woeful shots into the clouds. In the claustrophobic setting, it was Donegal who were finding room to breathe.

Then came the half time whistle. After that it seemed to be a cliché-strewn disaster for Donegal. Half time came at the wrong time; a game of two halves; whatever was said in the Tyrone dressing room worked – take your pick.

Michael Murphy brilliantly created a point for Paddy McBrearty straight from the throw in but then Tyrone proceeded to wring the life out of the men in green and gold jerseys. They waited and waited, content to let Donegal have the ball. They waited some more and once the slightest error came they pounced.

Donegal just could not get through their defence and rather than take on pot-shots against the breeze they pressed and probed, hoping an opening would come. When it didn’t they were turned over and hit by waves of Tyrone attackers.

There will no doubt be frustration amongst Donegal supporters at how insistent the team were in holding onto possession in the second half. Certainly there was a case to be made for more shooting, even if it resulted in more wides than points, but such was the reluctance to offer Tyrone chances to counter, they felt it was simply a case of ‘when we have the ball, they can’t score’.

It is likely though that the only way that the retaining the ball plan would have worked would have been to keep possession much deeper, retreating back and in doing so force Tyrone to come out. Or would it have been better to simply give Tyrone the ball and set up the defensive screen as they had done?

Despite being behind, Tyrone’s tactics were that of a team defending a lead – sit back, wait for a mistake and then swarm forward. Donegal meanwhile were ahead but played the match as high up the pitch as they could.

Interestingly, it was the victorious minor team who managed to hit on the right gameplan. They defended their lead deep and with magnificent ball players and runners like Niall O’Donnell and Aidan McLaughlin they tagged on the extra scores they needed to win.

As frustration grew, Donegal resorted to running at the Tyrone defence in the hope of drawing frees but none were forthcoming from David Coldrick. This reinvigorated the Red Hand men and their leaders came to the fore with Sean Cavanagh in particular producing an immense second half. The gloriously decorated Moy man proved again that he is one of the game’s greats; his two points off his right boot were nothing short of spectacular.

With Tyrone pushing up on Mark Anthony McGinley’s restarts, thus forcing him to go long, Donegal were then ironically starved of the possession that they had almost sole control of for so long. Cavanagh junior, Colm, lorded the midfield battle and what Donegal would have given for Paul Durcan and Neil Gallagher to be on the field for those closing minutes.

Instead it was thousands of Tyrone fans who raced onto St Tiernach’s Park to celebrate at the full time whistle and they can now dream big for 2016. They have placed themselves in the hot seat as Dublin’s main challengers and should those two sides meet further down the line, it will make for a fascinating encounter.

For Donegal it’s the back door again and the record of beaten provincial finalists over the past few years wouldn’t fill anyone with too much optimism. We’ll be heading back to Croke Park in a couple of weeks but not via the planned route.

Six of the Best as Donegal Reach Final

“Donegal are back!” So uttered Dessie Dolan on RTE Radio after last night’s encounter at Breffni Park. 

Well Dessie, we hadn’t gone anywhere ya know!

Donegal have qualified for a sixth successive Ulster Final and that is a terrific achievement. Four of those of course were under Jim so for that streak to carry on as it has, Rory deserves huge credit. This was also his first time beating Monaghan since he became manager, at the fifth time of asking.

As one point wins go, this was a fairly comprehensive one; Donegal led inside a minute and bar a brief period where the sides were level after Conor McManus’ penalty, they led throughout.

Donegal made hard work of the victory in a contest where they were always the better team. The first goal was a crazy one to concede as everyone fell asleep once a free-in was awarded. Some of the players even went over to the sideline to get instructions from Rory as if there was a break in play but with the ball in his hands McManus was the most alert man on the field.

The second goal was certainly contentious – inside or outside the box? Black card or not? Anthony Thompson or Eoin McHugh? The black card was surely the harshest out of all the calls; there was no doubt that a foul was committed but a deliberate act of cynical play? It was guesswork from Maurice Deegan and his guess went against Thompson, who appeared to do his best in trying to get a hand on the ball.

Aside from the goals, the first half belonged to Donegal. It was as good a thirty-five minutes of football as we’ve seen in the Championship since the famous win over the Dubs.

They ran incessantly at the Farney defence, finding plenty of gaps and crucially took their chances through the likes of Rory Kavanagh, Thompson and Martin McElhinney.

There could have been even more joy on the scoreboard as on numerous occasions, Donegal attacked down the left wing but usually ended up with a right footed player on the end of the run, unprepared to take a punt off his weaker left.

The middle sector of the field, where most of Donegal’s surges came from, was dominated by McElhinney, McGlynn and Martin O’Reilly. The latter has improved steadily since Rory took charge but he managed to find another level of performance, finishing the game with 0-3 and was the outstanding player on the field. O’Reilly also played a vital role in negating the effect of Karl O’Connell and his subdued evening was a major factor in his team’s demise.

McGlynn gave yet another masterclass in how to play against modern defences. He has the innate ability to know when to hold onto the ball and when to slow the game down. Then suddenly in an instant, he can inject some pace, change the angle of attack, move up a gear or two and pierce a hole in a defensive line. His intelligence in possession makes him such a valuable player and he is reminiscent of the great Denis Irwin – Mr Consistent. McGlynn rarely, if ever, dips below a seven out of ten rating and very often goes beyond that.

One man who did as much moving as anyone, when he was let, was Maxi Curran. It was a bit like Paddy McGrath’s battle with McManus as the linesman played the role of the back, not letting Maxi out of his sight. 

The sideline official didn’t fare as well as McGrath though as several lapses in concentration let the Downings man run free across the Breffni pitch, much to the angst of the Monaghan crowd in the stands.  

A particularly pleasing aspect of the win was that the team was able to produce such an accomplished performance despite a number of frontline men being kept reasonably quiet in open play. Michael Murphy, Paddy McBrearty, Odhran MacNiallais and Ryan McHugh were all well marked but the supporting cast stepped up to the plate.

Ryan was shadowed throughout by Ryan McAnespie, who generally ignored the ball and instead eyeballed McHugh and did everything he could to block his runs and time on the ball.

Eoin was also stifled to a degree and indeed it was the elder statesman of the McHugh clan, Mark, who made the biggest impact on proceedings following his introduction when replacing Thompson. He scored a fine long range point early in the second half and put in a huge shift of running up and down the field.

In spite of all this, there was a sense that Donegal could not shake Monaghan off and some fantastic scores from distance kept Malachy O’Rourke’s team right on the coat tails of their rivals.

For the closing stages, as the pressure was ratcheted up, Mark Anthony McGinley sent nearly all his restarts down on top of Murphy and Vinny Corey and it was the Glenswilly man who got his hands to most. A few fumbles and dispossessions though from his teammates and Monaghan were able to attack from deep and with five minutes of added time announced it made for a tense finale. Five minutes this week and six last week – another example of the GAA making a mess of something they try to improve, the idea being that each substitution now leads to time added on but with twelve replacements permitted it will lead to every game having four of five minutes added, which is too many.

It would have been daylight robbery had Donegal not come away with the win and they now deservedly take their place in the provincial showpiece in a fortnight’s time. Murphy commented afterwards that this display wont count for much unless they can repeat it in the final.

It will be an early start for the faithful on July 17^th with the minors pencilled in for a high noon start against Derry. Its a great problem to have though, two teams in Clones on Ulster Final Day.

Battle Ends Level, War Resumes Next Week

Honours even then in Cavan but the performances of both teams were closer to a pass level. Neither team played to their potential, though in a contest between two bitter rivals perhaps that was to be expected. There was never going to be free flowing football on show and tactics would always dominate the narrative but even accounting for all that, both teams will know they can deliver much more.

Donegal probably produced their best display against Monaghan since the Ulster Final of 2014 and seemed to have a much better handle on how to hurt their opponents offensively than in previous games. The fact that the game was played on the wider expanses of Breffni Park rather than St Tiernach's in Clones is certainly to Donegal’s benefit in this regard.

On a number of occasions in the first half, they were close to breaking through the Farney defensive shield and looked to be in on goal but sloppy final passes or inopportune slips proved detrimental.

Overall Donegal’s finishing was very poor throughout and will be a source of huge frustration for the lads; management of course have to look at the positives and as such will be pleased that so many opportunities were created – making them count is objective number one next weekend.

Defensively, Donegal were content to setup extremely narrowly, giving Monaghan free rein on the flanks. This worked well in the first half but it did allow Monaghan’s players ample space to run into when collecting Rory Beggan’s kickouts and meant the full court press employed by Donegal became somewhat redundant.

At the other end, the vast majority of Mark Anthony McGinley’s restarts went long and while his team-mates got their hands to a lot of these, for long stretches it was Monaghan players picking up the breaks from any knock downs. McGinley performed well and commanded his own box whenever danger threatened; his play-acting antics towards the end of the game though we can do without.

Just before that incident, confusion reigned as Christy Toye supposedly entered the fray for the excellent Rory Kavanagh. Kavanagh was on his goal line defending a free kick at the time and remained on the pitch along with Toye so Donegal were briefly restored to their full complement of fifteen for one passage of play, following Martin McElhinney’s earlier dismissal.

Regardless of what game plan is employed, it is clear that Monaghan are a nuisance for these Donegal players. They don’t like playing against these fellas. From early on, the players were in the ears of the umpires, linesmen and referee Joe McQuillan himself about what they were being subjected to off the ball but their claims fell on deaf ears. It is no more than every team puts up with but their grate at Monaghan having an edge over them is clear. There is one way to fix that of course – win the replay.

Michael Murphy is the prime example of this; no matter what he tries against those blue and white jerseys, nothing seems to go right for him. The harder he tries the unluckier he gets.

He is usually bottled up in Ulster matches and tends to spend his time roaming in the middle third but in a clever move by Rory Gallagher, he was stationed on the edge of the square for long periods and did plenty of damage from open play.

At one stage in the first half, the captain did brilliantly to control and collect a long ball one-handed; he followed it up with a fabulous dummy to create space for a shot but his footing gave way at the vital second and the chance was gone. Typical.

Surprisingly it was with his dead ball striking that Michael did struggle but that can happen to even very the best and is one of those things. If the team has an important, pressure free, he’s still the man you’d want standing over it.

One man who didn’t have a problem with his free taking was Conor McManus. The ace finisher was lethal from frees, racking up seven over the course of the match along with one trademark effort from play. Seven scoreable frees, plus another couple that he missed, is far too many to be giving away and the defensive discipline must improve.

What makes his points haul even more infuriating is that he was otherwise having a relatively quiet game. Paddy McGrath didn’t let him out of his sight for the entire match.

McGrath was certainly one of Rory's better match-ups but he has to yet to find a solution in stopping Karl O'Connell. The wing-back turned midfielder was immense again yesterday, as he was in last year's provincial decider.

McManus’ kicks kept his team ticking over on the scoreboard and in a matter of second half minutes the game went from a tight, inseparable battle to Monaghan suddenly opening up a three point lead.

McElhinney’s expulsion made matters even worse for Donegal and a result almost looked beyond the team at that stage. They persevered though and huge credit has to go to the players for getting back into the game and it was the goal machine himself, Odhran MacNiallais, who got the pivotal score to haul his side back into the mix.

In a frantic finish, both teams might have thought that the game was both won and lost at different times but in the end ice-cool McManus ensured the shares were spoiled.

The Ulster Championship is a tough slog at the best of times. Replays will now take place next weekend on both sides of the draw and the eventual winners will certainly have earned the title the hard way. For the three other teams, it means a futile battle fought in trying to claim the Anglo Celt and will make it very difficult for them to make a serious impression on the All-Ireland series. That is looking fairly far ahead though, for now there’s no need to look past the weekend, when both teams will once again go to war.

Semi Final Showdown Beckons After Super Donegal Second Half

Here we go then - Championship! Regardless of expectations or form, the first Summer day out is always a bit special. There’s a tingle of excitement in the air and the large crowd milling around Ballybofey long before throw-in illustrated this.

As you get parked up, make your way down through the busy main street and hear the grate of the turnstiles upon entering the ground, plenty of memories come to mind of big knockout days gone by. Not long after getting settled in your seat, you hear familiar voices; you may or may not know these people by name, you may or may not know from what club they hail but it doesn't matter - you've sat with them at previous games, heard them roar criticism and dispense encouragement. You’ve been through it all with them before and now you’re ready for another shot at glory.

As is now the norm, the obligatory pre-match changes were announced as the teams warmed up. There was never really any doubt that Eoin McHugh would start after his fantastic league campaign. He and cousin Ryan play a central role in one of Donegal’s prime scoring plans, namely hitting teams on the counter attack.

Some other norms came to pass at the throw-in as well including Michael Murphy heading straight for midfield as is now customary in Ulster jousts. He was quick to demonstrate the benefits of this with a beautifully played pass into Paddy McBrearty, who fired over the game’s opening score. Murphy has a wonderful range of passing and while his presence in front of goal is missed when he plays deeper, it does allow him to use other weapons in his considerable arsenal.

The main advantage for a manager in preparing for the season’s first game is that the opponents are known since the previous October. That gave Rory Gallagher plenty of time to devise a plan to overcome his native county which primarily centred on pushing up on the Fermanagh kickout, stationing Anthony Thompson as a sweeper in front of the twin scoring threat of Tomas Corrigan and Sean Quigley and finally to be patient with the ball in hand.

It can still be a little bewildering to hear the Donegal support’s indifferent reaction to the team holding possession when faced with a blanket defence. Like it or not Donegal, more than any other team, have played a part in developing this style of play so they know exactly what the other team are doing.

Fermanagh had a green and white cordon across their 45m line but Donegal didn’t try to play risky long passes or attempt difficult long range scores. That is exactly what the defending team wants you to do because even if a few long range scores go over, that tactic alone will never win a match. 

So instead the hosts were quite happy to keep the ball moving and put into practice what they have rehearsed over and over on the training field – players running at different angles to receive passes, taking on a man when one on one with a defender and playing little one twos around static defenders in order to break that defensive barricade.

The opening goal came from this, a delicious give and go instigated by the ever impressive Frank McGlynn created the crack in the defensive line and Odhran MacNiallais made no mistake when presented with the opportunity.

Fermanagh had no joy in breaking down Donegal and were forced into going for some long range efforts. A couple of exceptional points got them back into the mix but when the big chance came their way after Neil McGee’s red card they were unable to take it.

McGee was trying to burst out of defence and shrug off any would-be tacklers after claiming a ball from Quigley but in doing so raised his arm; once that happens it is an easy decision for a referee to make.

Quigley’s penalty wasn’t particularly well placed but Mark Anthony McGinley in goal did brilliantly to not only save but crucially palm it well away from goal and not leave any chance for onrushing Fermanagh men to tap home a rebound.

Despite his penalty miss, Quigley seemed to enjoy his afternoon in the company of Eamon McGee. The two were engaging in plenty of chat as soon as the contest started and in a modern game where the line between harmless mick-taking and disgusting sledging is a thin one, it was nice to see two lads who looked to be genuinely having a bit of craic with each other.

The McGee brothers were part of the cohort of Donegal players who were traditional in their choice of footwear but as for the rest, the multi-coloured offerings on display shows that it is all about the look these days. The eclectic mixes of pink, yellow and orange boots certainly didn’t do MacNiallais or the McHughs any harm – the trio were amongst the standout players on show (literally!).

Goalkeeper McGinley, equally as standout with his resplendant tights, had a few erratic kickouts throughout the game but made amends with not only the penalty save but another point blank stop earlier in the half.

With the incentive of playing with an extra man, Fermanagh had a decision to make at half-time – stick with the plan or change tack and go for it. They chose the latter, pushing much further forward in the second half, defending with a higher line but all it did was leave space in behind which Donegal were able to exploit. The Ernemen would have been better off keeping the game tight, wearing down the team with fourteen men and making their numerical advantage count in the closing stages.

Donegal’s re-jig on the other hand worked a treat. Thompson was released from sweeper duty, a move that invigorated the team. Hugh McFadden took Thompson’s place and for the most part kept the Donegal goal under lock and key, allowing Thompson to charge forward in that unfussy manner of his.

Once the first couple of white flags were raised at the town end of MacCumhaill Park after the change of ends, Donegal smelt blood. MacNiallais was again on the end of a composed, poised passage of keep-ball and he had the simplest of tasks to finish to the net.

Plenty more keep-ball followed in the last strecth of the game, Donegal never really looking troubled thereafter.

All in all it was the ideal performance for a Championship opener – a good test provided by the opposition, an excellent riposte by Donegal but still plenty to work on ahead of tougher tests.

The main dampener of course will be the sending off of McGee as Monaghan lie in wait. One of the enduring images of last year’s championship was Conor McManus’ tap on McGee’s chest after scoring a point in the provincial showpiece. There’ll now be no duel between those two in the semi final in a fortnight and its an unwanted tactical headache for Rory as he plots his first win as Donegal supremo over the Farney county.

Donegal Bow Out With A Whimper As Championship Awaits

The main bullet points for Donegal to take from yesterday’s glib encounter against Dublin are also the primary lessons they will take from their entire eight match league programme – kick outs were too slow, midfield was destroyed and Ryan McHugh is an exceptional player.

We knew all of these things already of course but having those first two highlighted again so starkly is a reminder of the work that needs to be done ahead of the Championship.

Alarm bells might be ringing in some quarters after suffering five straight reversals but the amount of games won and performances in general have mirrored all recent league campaigns over the past few years (aside from Donegal’s more straight forward sojourns in Division Two in 2011 and 2014).

Indeed, Donegal were close to being relegated in that year of years in 2012. A drilled shot from Jamie Clarke coming off the post instead of nestling in the net in MacCumhaill Park was what kept the team in the top flight that Spring and we all know the story’s happy ending five months later.

The average league ratio has usually been three wins from seven but what makes this year look much worse is that all those came at the beginning with nothing but defeats since.

So were Donegal right to essentially take a ‘harmless enough’ approach as Rory Gallagher put it in the aftermath? The sides’ championship record would suggest yes, although those who travelled to the capital would be well within their rights to feel a little short-changed.

The absurd amount of errors by Donegal smacked of a team that weren’t too fussed and were not totally tuned in. How many times did we see Donegal players dispossessed by a blue jersey that snuck up behind them or came in from the side unnoticed? Awareness, intensity, focus – all traits that would never be absent in a Donegal team going at full tilt.

As was famously witnessed in 2014, in order to beat this Dublin team, there has to be manic aggression and complete commitment in every facet of play. A league semi-final couldn’t be further from an All-Ireland last four battle played in front of a heaving Croke Park.

Dublin, while not outclassing Donegal or approaching anything like their best form, were much superior in their basic skills execution. They converted straight forward chances in front of the posts, the kind that all inter-county teams would be expected to take.

There was a chasm between the teams but more to do with attitude and application rather than footballing ability. We’ve all seen this Donegal team and these players perform to the highest standard imaginable so we know it's there; it must and will return for championship.

As for the league as a whole, after yesterday’s matches it is probably a welcome rule change that will see the semi-finals scrapped from now on. There was no bite or tempo in either game, both resembled training games.

There were at least some positives for Rory to take from the game. McHugh’s tireless efforts to break down the Dublin defence couldn’t be faulted and he’s up there with any player in the country right now regarding the impact and influence he exerts every time he takes to the field of play.

The McGee brothers were excellent throughout, aside for a momentary lapse which allowed Bernard Brogan to nip in for the game’s only goal. Both Eamon and Neil took it upon themselves early on to instigate almost every Donegal attack as they marauded forward at every opportunity.

Their club colleague in defence, Ciaran Gillespie, produced another hugely encouraging display after making his first start against the same opposition on Easter weekend. Gillespie was given the tough task of marking one of the country’s finest, Paul Flynn, but more than held his own.

While Flynn was kept relatively quiet, there were plenty others who had the run of Jones Rd. With Stephen Cluxton producing his usual masterclass from his kicking tee, he picked out team-mates at will and Donegal were totally wiped out around the middle. That was also the case with the restarts from the other end of the field and it led to Dublin dominating possession.

If a team can't win their own kick-outs then the opposition is dictating proceedings and controlling the terms of engagement. Often when netminder Mark Anthony McGinley looked out the field, everyone was marked; on the occasions when they were free he was much too slow in his delivery.

If there was some sort of grand plan to hide dead-ball strategies from a championship rival then it worked perfectly – Donegal looked a shambles when trying to kick the ball out.

So that raises another question - is the poor league / big championship combo the right way to go about things? It is certainly a risky ploy in switching from being not bothered to bothered in the space of a couple of months.

Kerry and Dublin contested last year’s All-Ireland final and will now lock horns in the league final. They've shown that it is possible to compete in all competitions without having a detrimental effect on their chances in another. Many would feel that every team should go out to try to win every game no matter what is at stake. Perhaps so but we certainly do things differently in Donegal. That’s why the county won an All-Ireland in 2012, that’s why the team has been dining at the top table of Gaelic football in the intervening period.

Rory is no mug. He has a plan and it is strictly geared towards June 12^th. The next time we see the lads take to the field, phase one of that plan will be unveiled. Until then nothing matters. 

The next time the team runs out to a crescendo of noise and a green and gold wall of colour in the stands, things will be different. That is in the master plan, league semi-finals in April are not.

Donegal Into Last Four Despite Fourth Defeat

The packed stand at St Mary’s Park roared their approval at the final whistle yesterday as their Monaghan team managed to cling onto their Division One status. Donegal on the other hand weren’t sure how to react - a fourth successive defeat but such was the fantastic form shown in the early weeks of the competition, their score difference comfortably saw them into the semi finals.

Those who travelled to Castleblayney were treated to a rip-roaring battle played in a beautiful setting; the massive field crouched below the main stand gives spectators a great view of the action. Monaghan have honed their game plan specifically to the tighter environs of Clones over the past few years - that is partly to blame for their failure to win big games once they reach Croker – and despite the logistical reason provided for the switch in venue a few weeks ago, perhaps they didn’t want to give Donegal any unnecessary practice at St Tiernach’s Park in case it might stage a potential Ulster Semi-Final in the offing in June.

Many Donegal folk would have passed the pitch on the old Dublin road over the years, before the town was bypassed. The Glencarn always provided a welcome break and a mighty breakfast for the convoy of buses transporting the faithful on those all too seldom journeys to Croke Park.

Donegal got to grips with the new surroundings very quickly, racing into a seven point lead in the first quarter. Martin McElhinney powered home the all-important goal, finishing an incisive move, one of many that troubled the hosts’ rear-guard.

The old adage of being vulnerable after scoring unfortunately proved true and despite the best efforts of the Donegal defence moments later, Daniel McKenna eventually finished to the net after his initial shot was blocked.

For the most part, certainly in that first half, Donegal performed well at midfield. It has been a problem area throughout the spring but with both teams pushing up on the others kick out, we saw a lot of old fashioned, up the middle restarts and the visitors were the ones who profited.

Patrick McBrearty and his forward colleagues did brilliantly in splitting defenders to ensure that Rory Beggan’s short options were cut out and he was forced to go long.

At times there was a fairly similar shape to the Donegal defence as was seen against The Dubs last week but there was an obvious intent in committing more players to attack. After going back to basics, it is a case of step by step and we’d expect much more endeavour to be on display in Croke Park next week than was shown on Easter Saturday.

1-7 was a decent return from the first half but in truth it could have and should have been more. Despite numerous turnovers and counter-attacking opportunities, there was a hesitant element to Donegal’s play when arriving inside Monaghan’s 45m line. That continued throughout the second half and played a big role in the end result.

Donegal’s profligacy coupled with the impressive McKenna at full forward kept Monaghan within touching distance and that was all they needed to do - their final point of the game saw them hit the front for the one and only time all day.

McKenna was being marked by Neil McGee and it was interesting to note that he wasn’t giving the task of shackling Conor McManus – possibly another example of one eye on the Summer and keeping bird and prey apart until then.

Frank McGlynn’s return was a big plus for Rory Gallagher with the Glenfin man making such a difference to his team’s general play. His composure, pace and assuredness on the ball are vital to initiating attacks.

All of those important traits deserted Donegal in the closing stages however as Monaghan produced a huge late surge to preserve their Division One status. Decision-making of any standard disappeared as time and again the wrong option was taken – ball taken into contact, hand passes delayed unnecessarily, bad shot selection – all gifting possession back to a ravenous Monaghan back line.

Michael Murphy was stripped of the ball in the tackle several times in the final minutes – when have we ever seen that? Murphy generally struggles against Monaghan and sure enough before throw-in his old buddy Vinny Corey was a late addition to the starting line-up with a brief to keep him company for the afternoon. Colm McFadden is another who has struggled against this opposition and his wild strike from the wing in stoppage time summed up his team’s approach in the final quarter.

One man who didn't struggle was Ryan McHugh, who put in yet another exceptional performance. Worryingly, his cousin Eoin went off with what looked like a bad hamstring injury; he had also produced a fine display and has become such an integral part of the team that any doubts over his fitness for next week will surely see him excused so as not to aggravate anything further before Championship.

Donegal were punished for their waywardness and when McManus drew the sides level, the visitors would have certainly taken a point having gone over twenty five minutes without scoring. The Faughs branch of the Farney Army demanded more though and Colin Walshe was the man to deliver the point that kept his side up.

Kieran Hughes became more of a threat in that frantic closing stanza, pushing up on the excellent Hugh McFadden, Donegal’s designated sweeper, and having a much bigger impact than he had in the previous hour.

While that point from Walshe was crucial for Monaghan, had Donegal held on for a draw or managed a win the outcome would have been the same regardless of the final score – fourth place in the table and a last four date with Dublin. Granted a positive result would have relegated our fierce rivals, always a satisfying prize but Monaghan are without doubt a top tier team so it is only right that they keep their place amongst the elite.

Despite the negative criticism that both of these teams can often receive due to their style of play, today was a real traditional bruising encounter and a thoroughly enjoyable Sunday afternoon for those present. Referee, Rory Hickey, deserves credit for letting most things go for most of the game, which added to the contests’ pace and physicality, although he did seem a bit more whistle-happy as the game reached its conclusion.

It all means that both teams play Division One football next year and that Donegal will make a trip back to Headquarters for another crack at the league and All-Ireland holders. It also means that in three league and championship attempts, Rory has yet to get the better of his fellow Fermanagh man Malachy O’Rourke. That is a statistic that will need to change in the coming months if his charges are to regain the Anglo-Celt.

Sloppy Donegal Defeated in Croker Combat

It was a case of back to the future for Donegal last night as the all out defence model that was inflicted upon the public in 2011 made its re-appearance. The game of Gaelic football survived after that seminal day five years ago and despite a poor spectacle in Croke Park, the game will survive again.

After Roscommon posted a total of 1-19 on the O’Donnell Park scoreboard last time out, Rory Gallagher made sure there would be no repeat against an even more formidable attack. It was an unashamed and unapologetic display of doggedness right from the off – under no circumstances were Donegal going to give away a big score.

We’ve seen this tactic from numerous teams in various sports over the years; after a bad beating or a chastening experience teams revert to type, go back to basics and get their defence sorted. That is the foundation upon which the rest can be built. Chelsea often did it under Jose Mourinho while the English rugby team revert to a forwards-orientated game when times are tough. Even in hurling, the aristocrats in Kilkenny, after conceding 1-28 against Tipperary in the 2014 All-Ireland final, made sure that the replay would see a big reduction in their concession rate. Keeping Tipperary to sixteen scores helped bring Liam McCarthy back to his usual winter resting spot along the Nore.

Donegal didn’t win the game of course last night but it wasn’t because they conceded too much; the trick to playing the blanket effectively is getting the balance right to allow you to create and score at the other end. Some awful wides, juvenile shot selection and a lack of shape up front cost Donegal dear.

Donegal only scored one point in the last half hour; Rory or anyone else doesn't need to be told that that isn't good enough to win big games. The manager though will take certain plus points out of the game while also acknowledging that there’s nothing much won in March.

The Dubs had their homework done on Donegal’s kick outs and pressed high in the hope of forcing the ball long. It has been a recurring theme this year, even in the victories gained, that the team are struggling to win possession around midfield.

A change in goalkeeper was made last night but in truth Mark Anthony McGinley didn’t fare too much better than Peter Boyle has up until now – the ball just isn’t sticking when it goes out long. The simple answer to that is to go short but Dublin penned Donegal in at The Hill in the opening half and with a breeze to play against as well they rarely made much headway.

McGinley was constantly berating his team mates out the field to move and show for the ball but to no avail. With at least another game left in this league campaign might we see another change in goal? Perhaps the most in-form net-minder currently in a Donegal jersey at present is Danny Rodgers. The Dungloe stopper is the incumbent U21 ‘keeper and should also be in the mix with McGinley and Boyle for keeping Paul Durcan’s jersey warm. For now, Rodgers has the small matter of an Ulster semi-final battle with Tyrone on Wednesday night.

Donegal’s plan worked to a large degree in the first half, suffocating Dublin and only a few well worked scores from the boys in blue troubled the umpires. At the other end though, things did not work so well. Time and again there was no one in front of the ball when attacks reached halfway. Conversely, Leo McLoone had the unenviable task of being the sole target man with several Dublin players for company. At least if Paddy McBrearty was the nominated lone striker, he might have troubled the defence with his pace but Leo isn’t that kind of player. A big, strong ball player, he only hits top speed after working through the gears whereas the game plan called for a more impish, wriggly forward.

McBrearty was eventually moved in and registered a trademark point on the turn. Rory Kavanagh, Michael Murphy and the excellent Eamon McGee also notched fine points but the accuracy illustrated by those scores was all too fleeting. Kavanagh, Odhran MacNiallais and the McHughs were guilty of some poor striking; calm, measured build up was often the order of the day instead of some of the horrid ballooned efforts witnessed.

At one stage in the first half with Donegal two points in arrears, Murphy took an opportunity to tie his boot laces and that halt in play took the sting out of Dublin’s momentum. Donegal got a couple of scores back and took the lead briefly following another scoring spurt after the restart.

Murphy rallied the troops as best he could and put in a tireless shift but his departure on a double yellow seemed to signal the end of any hopes of collecting a league point or two.

The second bookable offences, which saw Murphy and James McCarthy shown the line, left both teams at fourteen a side but the difference in departing personnel was huge. Donegal’s heads dropped somewhat while Dublin injected more pace into the game and managed to get in behind the Donegal backline.

While a lot of similarities were evident with that 2011 semi-final, this game ended more like the 2012 league clash; that was a tight, cagey affair but Donegal were well in the game thanks largely to the work of Murphy both in defence and attack. His premature departure that night, due to a knee injury that would keep him out of that year’s championship opener, also signalled the end of Donegal hopes.

It is often said that Donegal are over-reliant on Michael and at times that notion is laughable – why wouldn’t you rely on the country’s best player? Monaghan’s dependence on Conor McManus gets similar coverage but the Clontibret ace is the best finisher in the game so it makes sense that he finishes the majority of his team’s chances. Reliance on a big player is fine within reason and obviously teams also need to have alternative plans.

Where the over-reliance theory does have credence is when the star men mentioned above aren’t there. Players cant rely on Michael Murphy when he’s not on the field of play and the countless instances last night of players abdicating shooting responsibility onto someone else was disappointing and had a big effect on the game.

All sports are about decision making. In football, every player makes hundreds of decisions in a game and every time they receive the ball their mind debates about holding onto the ball, taking a man on, soloing, holding possession or shooting. The higher the level, the less time you have to make these decisions. On too many occasions last night we saw Donegal players make bad decisions in passing to McBrearty or Murphy while they themselves were in space in front of goal. There are top class footballers wearing green and gold but offensively they are not making top class decisions.

Not having Michael on the field for the closing stages, or indeed Neil Gallagher to bring on from the bench, robbed Donegal of a chance to seriously test out Dublin’s full back line. The decision by Rory O’Carroll to leave the panel and go travelling leaves a big hole in the champion’s defence but that perceived porosity wasn’t put to the test with Donegal having no target man option.

Dublin ran out winners and there was no doubt about the result following Philly McMahon’s well taken goal. Rory and Jim Gavin though would both have been annoyed with some of the sloppiness on show particularly the hand passing from either side.

Hand passing is seen as a fairly basic skill but it still has to be executed properly. A lot of what the Croker crowd saw was of a low standard not expected at inter-county level. Passes were played to the man on the wrong side, too close to his marker. Others weren’t going straight onto a team mates’ chest and were instead hopping once, maybe twice before reaching their target. It is only a small detail but it takes the receiver that extra second to get the ball in control and amongst the big boys seconds matter.

The blueprint adopted by Donegal coupled with the result didn’t make for good viewing but in spite of all the probable negative coverage that the match will generate, this was two of the country's biggest going head to head. Come summertime they will still be two of the biggest gunning for glory.

The Dubs march on and are aiming for a fourth league title in succession, a phenomenal record. The Hill enjoyed cheering every Dublin pass near the end of the game but as Mickey Harte once observed, there’s always another day.