Donegal Stumble Over First Qualifier Hurdle

Sometimes being a GAA supporter is a joyous experience filled with incredible, unforgettable moments. Some matches give you goosebumps when you’re there watching in the flesh.

Others are a penance. Saturday was one such occasion.

A huge crowd had gathered by The Finn to see if Donegal could get back on the horse after their implosion against Tyrone but for many there what unfolded in front of their eyes would have ranked as one of the worst games of football they’d ever seen.

It was reminiscent of the Laois game in Carrick on Shannon in 2013 - everything a struggle, everything an effort.

Both teams were lethargic, both committed basic errors while the shooting was simply atrocious.

However, if Donegal can navigate their way through the back door to reach Croke Park, few will care about the weekend’s fare.

Who remembers the Longford game in 2003? What about Carlow at home in 2009? The end points of those years are more important – an All-Ireland semi-final and quarter-final respectively.

As often happens with a team after a bad defeat, management decide to start again, to go back to basics and that’s exactly what Rory Gallagher did with his troops.

Donegal went defensive, they got numbers back and they made sure that the gaps that appeared ad nauseam in Clones would not be seen again, regardless of the inferiority of the opponents this time around.

The building blocks were constructed at the back, with the aim of keeping the score down. That was achieved but the zip on the counter attack and quality score-taking were marked absent.

Overall a bad display can be put down to the scar tissue that remains from the Ulster semi-final. After building up to the game since the draw was made last October, being on the receiving end of a pasting takes time to get over.

It hasn’t cleared yet and may not anytime soon but at least the healing has started.

Keeping the score down was one part of the rebuilding process but how the team attacks must also improve and develop.

Gallagher has generally persisted with an attack they depends on support coming from behind the ball carrier. When it works it can be devastating such is the pace that the team possesses and the intricate lines of running the players are so adept at fashioning.

When it doesn’t work though there has to be an alternative.

Donegal attacked Longford up the middle and when the visitors blocked that channel, there was nowhere to go -  there seemed to be a deliberate ploy to go through the centre and avoid the wings, which were lying vacant for much of the proceedings.

On several occasions, particularly in the first half, the ball was fed over and back in front of the D before a questionable shot option was selected which invariably led to a wide or a block down. The defensive cordon wasn’t being broken so a constant cycle of recycling was the outcome.

All the while Michael Langan was inside and could have done damage had he got some ball. The other inside man, Patrick McBrearty, was receiving the ball around the 45 – too far out for a marksman of his quality.

The wrong player was usually on the end of moves as well, leading to defenders like Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Paddy McGrath and Caolan Ward turning back for support as they weren’t comfortable or confident enough to shoot.

In yesterday’s Munster Final, Kerry almost always managed to work the ball to either Paul Geaney or James O’Donoghue. They’re their main men, the lads who will score the bulk for them so they work at getting them on the end of moves.

In a tight, turgid game like we saw, usually one man has to stand up and it was Martin McElhinney who delivered. Martin has always been a direct footballer and he can break tackles. With a young team, this is often the key variance missing from their play – they are not sufficiently physically developed to take the hits on the run and keep going. So they either turn back for support before the hit or they take it and get turned over.

McElhinney also made a hugely positive impact against Tyrone so he’s surely now in the running for a starting jersey for next weekend.

The pairings this morning provided Donegal a good draw, on paper at least. Their performance levels must increase though by a few notches in order to get over Meath in Pairc Tailteann.

We're told that qualifiers are about getting back on the wagon, to get up and running after a loss and to create the magic word – momentum.

Taking the first step is the hardest part and Donegal certainly did all they could to prove that idiom true.

Having avoided Mayo in Round 3, a path has now opened up to HQ on Quarter Final day at the end of the month.

The open expanses of Croke Park seemed light years away as wide after wide sailed past the Mac Cumhaill Park posts on Saturday evening.

The opportunity is there though.

Donegal are still alive and while not yet kicking, there’s still time for that.

Donegal Surge Out of the Blocks but Tougher Tests Lie Ahead

Championship Sunday in May. First day out of the summer. Nothing like it.

Every county feels expectation and optimism at this time of year and there’s a sense that anything is possible. Reality kicks in for many teams pretty quickly of course but while that sentiment lasts it’s a level playing field for all.

Travelling from the North of the county to Donegal’s footballing Mecca by the banks of the Finn, the length of the tailback at the T-junction a couple of miles out from town tells you the significance of the match you’re about to attend. Half an hour before the curtain raiser's 2pm throw-in time, the sizeable row of cars ahead and behind made it clear that the Championship had arrived.

The minor match added to the atmosphere as a cracking tussle broke out amongst the mistakes and nerves on show from the young lads playing in the last ever minor championship.

Once the ball was thrown up for the senior game however the buzz died somewhat. Mac Cumhaill Park was as quiet as it’s been for some time; the primal, box office jousts against Dublin and Tyrone in the league a distant memory. There were plenty of scores early on but there was an inescapable mood that Donegal were simply going through the motions.

That particular phrase isn’t in the lexicon of one Michael Murphy though. Murphy continued his superb league form, putting in a man of the match display.

For the entire afternoon he had Sean McVeigh by his side and while the big Antrim man was game and did his best to nullify Donegal’s leader, it was an impossible task. It will be a different story of course if Donegal end up facing Tyrone next time out – that will give Michael and Justin McMahon a chance to renew their rancorous friendship.

From the off The Maestro bulldozed his way through the Antrim defence, winning frees and creating gaps from which others could profit.

Murphy's ability to break tackles around midfield is especially crucial in the opening stages of a game; when an opponent’s blanket screen is at its most stubborn and defenders’ minds are at their sharpest. As the game goes on more space appears, tiredness infests the limbs and runs aren’t tracked as they were. So early on is the most difficult time to breach a defence and the captain consistently leads the charge.

As we saw in second half yesterday, Donegal had the run of the place at the river end goal and picked off points and goals at their leisure. In this light, Donegal's porousness in their own backline in the first half was all the more unusual.

Paddy McGrath and Neil McGee were a wee bit more lackadaisical than normal, letting Antrim forwards get goal chances that, judging by their attempted finishes, they seemed shocked to have got. The inside duo of Tomas McCann and CJ McGourty caused problems with their movement but once Frank McGlynn got the call from Maxi Curran to drop back in front of the full back line, things tightened up considerably.

Jamie Brennan’s goal before half-time ended the contest and it was a great finish from a man making his debut at this level. His point soon after displayed his best characteristics – quick feet to get around his man in order to create space for a composed shot at the posts. There were other times when the Bundoran sharp shooter had chances to take his man on but opted to turn back and look for support. If he can add a bit more directness to his game not many corner backs will relish pitting their wits against his raw speed.

Six others joined Brennan in making full Championship debuts and all acquitted themselves well. Granted the nature of the game, with the hosts pulling away comfortably after half-time, made things easier and didn’t give a true measure of the white heat of Ulster fare.

Jason McGee made a welcome return after missing several weeks of training due to concussion picked up in the U21 match with Dublin but he showed no ill-effects and produced an accomplished performance in the engine room alongside Murphy.

With that duo stationed at centrefield, there’s big men aplenty around the middle, which allows Hugh McFadden to provide the bulk in front of goal. McFadden spent most of his time in a county jersey up until this year in a defensive role but looking lean and fit he is relishing the chance to show what he can do in attack. He is much more inclined to take his shots on nowadays rather than pass on responsibility and his booming score in first half illustrated his ability in front of the posts.

There was plenty of other fine marksmen on show with the second half turning into shooting practice for the likes of substitutes Michael Langan and Karl Lacey.

When corner back McGrath pops up for his first ever goal, you know things are going your way. Paddy has been making that run for many years now yet he still seemed surprised to arrive in front of goal with ball in hand. A typical defender, the first instinct was to look for contact with the goalkeeper; after he bounced off Chris Kerr he had the wherewithal to get his foot to the ball before running straight through the goal line.

McGrath’s hit prior to his goal was one of the few incidences of physicality we saw in the closing stages such was the lack of intensity in the match by then. Things will definitely be different the next day – an expected Tyrone win over Derry at the weekend will lead to an Ulster Final rematch in Clones on June 18^th.

If that comes to pass, we'll see more hefty belts in the opening five minutes than we saw over the entire 70 yesterday. Throughout the league, the displays of Rory's young guns have suggested that they have what it takes to represent the green and gold jersey - in four weeks we'll know for sure.

Dominant Donegal Trample Tyrone

Donegal saved their best performance of the campaign for their fiercest rivals and were full value for a comfortable six point win in Ballybofey last night.

The hosts’ display was controlled and composed and despite re-awakening a little regret over the past and the Ulster Final defeat, ultimately the game provided confidence for the future.

In producing their spring best they laid down a marker with summer in mind.

The home support left Mac Cumhaill Park with a warm glow inside despite the biblical elements rendering them soaked from head to toe.

The conditions were awful but Donegal seemed to relish the challenge of facing into the wind and rain as well as the Tyrone defence.

Both teams play similar styles and set up in almost a mirror image of each other; you would think then a stalemate would ensue but after trading a few early points, the home side surged clear in the second quarter.

Ciaran Thompson was once again the leading light and right now he is as good a striker of the ball as there is in the country. His wand of a left foot can register points from any angle and any distance and the Glenties man added 0-3 more to his league tally.

While Thompson splitting the posts from anywhere isn’t that big a surprise, possibly the biggest roar of the night came when Paddy McGrath launched a missile from under the stand to score the point of his life.

McGrath is a cult hero for Donegal supporters, emptying the tank every single day he goes out to represent his county. He doesn’t do bad matches and he was once again a vital component of his team’s defensive effort.

Another of the stalwarts at the back, Frank McGlynn, had a brilliant opening half and hopefully his half time substitution doesnt lead to any major injury concern. While the young bucks have thrived this year, the likes of McGlynn and McGrath are still as important as ever.

The job of the defenders was made that bit easier by the unrelenting pressure applied by those out the field to the Tyrone ball-carriers. Michael Murphy, Micheal Carroll and Thompson got through a trojan amount of work around the middle and set the tone for everyone else.

Mickey Harte opted to station Sean Cavanagh and Mattie Donnelly, two of the finest footballers in the land, inside in the full forward line and in truth it proved a wasteful decision. Very little ball came their way and as a result both were out of the game for much of the opening half.

Any ball that did come their way was dealt with by Neil McGee and Eamon Doherty. McGee was at his brutal, brilliant, bullying best.

With Donegal fashioning a lead, they found themselves in the perfect scenario – ahead against Tyrone, in control, the game in their own hands – a carbon copy of the circumstances they found themselves in during the provincial showpiece last July. Would Rory’s charges relinquish another lead or keep their foot on Tyrone’s throat and see it home?

The lead was stretched out as half time approached, eventually becoming five at the short whistle and six in the second half. At no stage did Tyrone really look like they were going to close the gap.

Donegal led with an assuredness. There were no wonder scores from Cavanagh or Peter Harte, indeed McGrath’s black card came from an unforgiving drag down on the latter. It showed that he and his teammates were intent on holding onto their lead, by fair means or foul.

In that decider in Clones, Tyrone were patient in the second half despite being behind and waited on their own 45m line for Donegal to make a mistake with the ball before pouncing. Donegal were ponderous and unsure. This time around, Tyrone were forced out towards the opposite 45 to try and win the ball back such was Donegal’s calmness and confidence with the ball; they were happy to keep it and move it around looking for an opening.

The mindset was the difference. There is a big contrast between knowingly wanting to hold the ball and being hesitant with it.

The U21 joust between these two teams last week was similar. Declan Bonner’s team looked for fast breaks when they were on but they weren’t in any rush to commit men if they felt there wasn’t a high percentage chance of a score. When an attack had to be slowed down and the ball retained that’s what they did.

Teams are so consumed with getting in behind a team before the defensive shape is set that they often mess up scoring chances by displaying too much eagerness and not enough composure.

Cian Mulligan produced an impressive cameo off the bench in that U21 match in Omagh and he did so again in Ballybofey, capping off a productive spell on the field with a well taken point. He’ll certainly be in the mix for a starting jersey for the replay on Wednesday night.

One man who never has to worry about getting a jersey is Ryan McHugh, who was magnificent once again. His intelligence in possession is wonderful and is a player that Tyrone simply cannot cope with. Both teams have set man markers that are generally used when the sides meet – we saw the latest instalment of Justin McMahon’s staring contest on Murphy – but Tyrone have yet to figure McHugh out.

There were more rows than scores in the second half but the outcome was decided long before the final whistle sounded. After securing their place in next year's Division One against Cavan, this win suddenly puts Donegal in with a chance of reaching a league final.

Who knows, maybe there could be a repeat of this fixture next month? Either way, they will meet again.

That can wait as the battles keep on coming – Monaghan next up.

Donegal Derive Deserved Draw in Dublin Dogfight

In pure numeric terms, yesterday’s contest delivered a league point but in years to come the bounty may be priceless. Rory’s Rookies stood up to the All-Ireland champions and showed that they belong at this level and that they can be relied upon when the going gets tough.

The rain that had pummelled the Mac Cumhaill Park sod in the lead up to throw-in ensured that the contest would be scrappy and a dogfight; that the young guns survived in such an environment is all the more pleasing.

The soundbites emanating from the manager’s media briefings during the week intimidated that Donegal would be transformed into an all out, kamikaze attacking unit - fat chance of that against the mighty Dublin. The absence of Paddy McBrearty through injury meant an extremely inexperienced forward line so the plan had to be to sit deep and try to hit Dublin on the counter attack at lightning speed.

Eoin McHugh and Jamie Brennan were assigned the tough task of winning the little ball that came their way. Without McBrearty we had no-one to get their hands on dirty ball, hold onto it and wait for the cavalry to arrive.

The visitors had a similar plan themselves and the most anxious moments for the home support were when the ball was lost in opposition territory. Dublin broke forward, stretched the pitch as wide as they could and more often than not found a blue jersey in space.

The rate at which Donegal turned the ball over was somewhat alarming; time after time the ball was lost following a sloppy hand pass either played too far ahead or just behind the receiver. 

Composure was lacking once Donegal crossed the halfway line and there was certainly a few 

scores left behind through wastefulness.

Dublin’s goal, a wonderful flowing move from deep finished by the excellent Niall Scully, came about following a slack handpass played to a static Michael Murphy.

There is never a lack of composure when Ryan McHugh is around though and his goal (yet another against Dublin) smacked of it; a delightful finish pebble-stoned into the corner of the net. Seconds earlier he had displayed his dogged determined streak when keeping the ball in play, showing incredible skill with foot and hand in the process.

The anxiousness with the ball will of course be eradicated as the year goes on; hands will become softer, the ground firmer and accuracy will increase.

The determination to move the ball quickly is a specific and necessary tactic. This Donegal team has all of a sudden become quite small so attacking into space before opponents have a chance to get their defensive screen set is the best way to create scoring chances.

Over the last decade and a half we have had a plethora of big forwards – Colm McFadden, Adrian Sweeney, Ryan Bradley, Christy Toye et al. Now the physical make-up is different.

We have an abundance of small, nippy, highly-skilled footballers – similar to the glory days under Brian McEniff – and a dearth of big rugged lumps of men. When you are faced with a wall of defenders, you need big, powerful men to drive through tackles.

Martin McElhinney’s return will help matters in this regard but generally there aren’t too many like him around in green and gold and we lost one of the greatest during the week with the retirement of Neil Gallagher.

His clubmate Murphy’s simple tribute spoke volumes, “some man for one man.” Gallagher was some man for Donegal football and his like may never be seen again. There are however some striking similarities between him and the most likely heir to his throne, Ciaran Thompson.

Both have this unerring ability to play the game at their own pace. They never seem to be in a hurry yet you rarely see them getting caught by a challenge or dispossessed. Thompson has been flagged as a top class inter county player for a couple of years, particularly since his tour de force against Cavan in the U21 Championship, but even still the speed with how he has taken to a leading role this year is remarkable.

He rarely wastes possession, kicked a couple of frees yesterday in McBrearty’s absence, is wonderful in the air and got the better of his duel with Brian Fenton.

Jason McGee also put in a huge shift around the middle third, capping a memorable display with a return of 1-1. His opening skyscraper of a point set the tone for the day and sent a message that despite facing the best team in the land, Donegal’s future, and indeed it’s present, is in good hands.

Jason is a fine soccer player and when the ball eventually landed back to him following some 

pinball around Stephen Cluxton’s goalmouth, between himself, Martin O’Reilly and Jamie Brennan, he slotted the ball home.

The two goal blitz from McGee and McHugh turned the game on its head, providing the hosts with a scarcely deserved lead.

A three point surplus at the short whistle brought a familiar challenge. The last time Donegal had such a lead in a big game was last year’s Ulster Final.

As on that day, the first score plundered after the restart pushed the lead out to four.

As on that day, the lead did not bring victory.

Have the team and management learnt their lessons? Is the team capable of defending a lead and turning it into a win?

In fairness, the team kept looking for scores yesterday and it was more their handling and decision making that let them down. So the signs were encouraging. Against Tyrone on that sweltering day in Clones, the team didn’t seem to know whether to attack or defend, to stick or twist and in the end they blinked first.

Caolán Ward was one of those who kept surging forward, kept bringing the game to Dublin. He has been impressive in all the games thus far and his clubmate, Eamonn Doherty, did likewise during his cameo late on. Both men are strong on the ball and against the wind in the second half, this was no easy task.

Most of the crowd would have taken a draw as 2pm approached and they were certainly glad of it as the clock ticked past 3.30pm.

Murphy’s brilliant free, which looked routine from the stand but was far from it considering the breeze he faced, secured a draw and kept a seven-year unbeaten run in Ballybofey intact.

Whatever about registering a third league point of 2017, the most important aspect of the day was that the team refused to wilt. Behind with a few minutes to go, it would have been easy to accept a narrow defeat and think ‘well we did grand, didn’t disgrace ourselves’; the players though collectively, young and not so young, refused to be beaten.

Next week will be a different type of test. In many ways it's easy to get revved up for a match in front of a big home crowd against the All-Ireland Champions. Now the players need to show that they can apply the same focus and attention to a Saturday night in Cavan - a bigger game in relation to Division One survival.

Two points next week and Donegal will be looking up rather than down.