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.

McBrearty Breaks Rebel Resistance

Donegal have cleared the qualifier hurdle once again and are back in an All-Ireland quarter final. Its probably taken for granted a bit now, it being our sixth on the spin but its an important milestone nonetheless. The fact that Dublin lie in wait frames the magnitude of it.

At times it was a struggle and the inevitable Ulster Final hangover was evident early on. Once the line was breached with Paul Kerrigan’s goal, the Donegal players upped the ante and dipped into their vast reservoirs of experience, grit and determination to haul themselves back into the game. And of course, there was a certain man by the name of Patrick McBrearty to play a leading role.

From the first ball that Paddy got into his hands, he was in the zone. Regardless of distance or angle, he fancied everything he hit to sail over the bar. A case in point was his second half strike when he shot with his back to goal, instinctively guiding the ball over his right shoulder and splitting the posts. It was a sensational display to witness.

Part of the reason for the space McBrearty was able to find was due to Michael Murphy having two Cork players for company. Their sweeper sat in front of Murphy, leaving swathes of open country elsewhere in the forward line.

Usually when the team reaches Headquarters, Murphy gets freed from the claustrophobic marking of Ulster and flourishes in more space and more direct ball from his team mates. His displays against Galway and Mayo this time last year were vintage Murphy. Yesterday though, in the opening quarter, the lads out the field seemed over anxious to get the ball into him and ended up playing a lot of poor passes. Michael found the going tough thereafter and one party piece aside – a delightful point with the outside of his boot – he didn’t have a major impact on proceedings. Hopefully he’s saving something special for next week.

McBrearty’s brilliance kept Donegal in the match in the first half as the team found it difficult to win possession such was Alan O’Connor’s dominance at midfield. An obvious height advantage over Odhran MacNiallais allowed O’Connor to win ample ball when Cork went long with their restarts. MacNiallais did manage to break some ball but Cork’s runners were more alert and picked up most of these.

Donegal couldn’t cope with the second wave of runners coming from deep and Cork racked up some handy scores in a period of ascendancy. They found it extremely easy to cut through Donegal’s defence and this aspect of play will be Rory’s main worry as Dublin loom large on the horizon.

Cork simply ran up the middle with those in front of the ball carrier making made runs out to the wings, leaving the man in possession with ample space to drive in to. Straight forward enough ploy but it took Donegal quite a while to figure it out.

When Cork were forced to go short on their own kickouts, Donegal had a bit more joy and that led to a change of tact after half time. The instruction was clear – let them have it. Donegal retreated to midfield leaving several defenders free and this negated the Rebels’ aerial supremacy. It would be no surprise to see similar tactics employed next week.

Parity was slowly gained in midfield with Martin McElhinney coming to the fore, justifying his recall with an industrious shift in the engine room.

As the McBrearty show continued into the second half, it looked as if Kilcar was going to do it all on its own with Ryan and Eoin McHugh taking the game to Cork. The pair ended up five points between them, leaving the club’s total at a whopping 0-16.

As mentioned with Murphy earlier, some players generally up their game when they reach Jones Rd and, despite already hitting some impressive heights in this year’s Championship, Paddy McGrath did just that. He was fantastic tearing up and down the wing and also got his hands to some important clearances and interceptions in his full back line. His performance culminated in a courageous block towards the end of the game, flinging himself in front of a goal bound shot.

Incidentally, Neil McGee also came up with a crucial block to save a certain goal in the 1st half; his early departure from the field was hopefully just an exercise in breaking up play rather than anything more serious ahead of Saturday.  

One man whose introduction was greeted with huge cheers was that of Leo McLoone. Rory came under a bit of fire for not introducing Leo in the Ulster Final and certainly the support was delighted to see the Glenties man make such a positive impact on the game.

Donegal closed out the contest reasonably well and while there were some worrying moments, overall they always seemed to have that little bit more than Cork.

Little bits of anything wont do next week as it will take a full performance at full throttle to take on the Dubs. Croke Park will be heaving next week, in stark contrast to the early stages of yesterday’s game where the shouts and calls of the players could be heard in a library-like atmosphere.

Donegal famously delivered a masterclass to beat Dublin two years, in a result that surprised many across the land. It wasn’t a huge surprise to a lot of Donegal support though, who were quite happy to take the 8/1 and better on offer from the bookmakers.

The key then was belief. Donegal players and spectators believed they could do it whereas right now the overriding emotion is that of hope. That is what it looks like six days out.

Come 6pm Saturday though, Croke Park will be teeming with optimism and defiance from those in green and gold and that wee voice inside will whisper, ‘you know, we might just be able to pull this off’.

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.

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 Off to a Flyer

A new year, new league campaign, new jerseys, new players but same old Donegal – composed, economical, patient and crucially last night, clinical. To post 3-15 any day is pleasing, to lay down such a marker away from home in Division One even more impressive.

It was clear early on who was the established top tier outfit and who was experiencing what may well be a brief stay amongst the game’s elite. Donegal made everything look simple whereas Down had to expend much more effort in all aspects of play.

The visitors’ defence, led by the commanding Neil McGee, illustrated wonderful examples of interceptions, near hand tackles and doing enough to dispossess their markers. McGee’s evening didn’t last too long but he can certainly feel aggrieved over his black card dismissal – he made a genuine attempt to get the ball as Ryan Johnston bore down on goal and therefore a deliberate foot trip was an incorrect call; a yellow card for a sliding tackle would have been more appropriate.

It mattered little as brother Eamon, who incidentally made it two McGees & two black cards before night’s end, slotted in seamlessly and after Peter Boyle saved the resultant spot kick, the fight seemed to seep from the Mournemen.

Boyle had an encouraging outing between the posts with the vast majority of his kick outs directed straight down the middle. Whether or not Paul Durcan returns to the side over the coming months remains to be seen but if not then Donegal’s restart strategy will need some variation.

There were numerous changes in front of Boyle at throw-in and when it all settled down, Anthony Thompson sat in front of the full back line and swept to great effect. He made one or two of his trademark ghost-like appearances inside the opposition scoring zone but for the most part he used his fantastic game intelligence to snuff out Down’s direct ball threat. 

Anthony’s brother Ciaran, after some fine McKenna Cup performances, produced another solid display. Thompson junior showed great composure and awareness to setup Ryan McHugh for the night’s opening goal while he also got on the score sheet himself with a booming left footed score in the early minutes.

Donegal dominated the early exchanges around midfield, claiming possession from both clean fielding and winning those all important breaks. It is an area that is worked on religiously at training as the players are hugely adept at making the decision whether to tap the ball down to a waiting team-mate, put the fist through it or go for the catch.

There was a slightly wayward midfield spell during the first half when Down got back into the game; they seemed to have far too much space on their own kick outs, winning some of them uncontested but they failed to make the most of their increased share of the ball.

The gap soon became an unassailable lead as Michael Murphy’s flawless place kicking punished every Down misdemeanour. The captain’s majestic sideline kick was another one for the scrapbook, landing right on the black spot as it made its way through the Pairc Esler uprights.

Murphy’s positioning on the field is of course always a huge source of debate. Patrick McBrearty manned the full forward line as Michael did most of his work between midfield and centre forward, not that the nobles would have noticed as all eyes would have been on the ‘GAA clasico’ taking place on Jones Road.

Down are fortunate that their fixture with Dublin won’t be taking place at Headquarters as their lack of mobility on a big pitch could make for unpleasant viewing. New manager Eamon Burns stated before the match that he had introduced bigger, more physical players into the panel to assist in breaking down the defences of the modern game. On the evidence we saw in Newry its a flawed policy.

Their players struggled to cover the ground, stay with their men or make any inroads into the Donegal blanket. Their new policy robs them of pace and even their skill set looked below the required standard at this level.

Donegal on the other hand are a very mobile team. Sure there are plenty big men and there are a lot you wouldn’t fancy running into at full tilt but you also have the likes of the McHugh cousins, Paddy McGrath, the indefatigable Frank McGlynn and Martin O’Reilly - players who can make incisive cuts through opposition defensive lines. The best teams have both power and pace, both speed and strength. The first and third goals, either side of a stunning effort from McBrearty, are a case in point; Donegal ran around the statue-like home defence with ease.

McHugh’s two goal salvo earned him man of the match honours but it was a close run with O’Reilly, who produced a terrific evening’s work from wing back. The MacCumhaills man appears more confident and more assured than ever, wanting to take responsibility on the field and get on the ball. He came of age as an inter-county player in 2015, primarily as an accomplished goal poacher. Last night saw him moved back the pitch where he was marking one of Down’s key threats, Kevin McKernan. Such was O’Reilly’s dominance that McKernan was largely ineffective and spent much of his evening running the other way trying to stay with the Donegal bundle of energy.

Down’s other main creative threat, Mark Poland, had a similarly frustrating game getting to know what McHugh’s new No5 jersey looks like from the rear.

The Donegal pair are a great example to the many new faces in the squad and they will all feel that they can be operating at their level over the coming years. There will be some teething problems, some hesitancy in possession and slightly delayed decision making the main issues evident last night but overall the younger of the Thompsons and McHughs, along with Micheal Carroll can be delighted with their night’s work.

So all in all a good night’s work and two points in the bag. A few of the big hitters got a run near the end, including the returning Rory Kavanagh, and with lads such as Karl Lacey and Colm McFadden still to come back, the panel is in rude health. Securing such a comfortable win without many of those big hitters will satisfy Rory Gallagher and his backroom team.

The poor standard of the opposition though will keep expectations firmly in check. A more rigorous examination will be provided by Cork next week and that will present a clearer picture of the current state of play.

The last word can go to a home supporter who left the Marshes with a number of minutes still to be played... ”that wasn’t worth two f***ing pound never mind twelve!” For Down, that says it all.

Tralee Tussle Sees Kerry Pip Donegal

The cut throat nature of Division One football was illustrated yesterday as two of the country’s top teams crossed swords in Tralee. Despite a relatively good performance from Donegal they left the South empty handed. That has been the way in a lot of games this year - good displays but with no points to show for the effort.

Rory Gallagher wont be too despondent though as his side were well in the game until a costly five minute period in the closing stages put paid to their chances. Three bad wides in succession from Colm McFadden, Mark McHugh and Christy Toye left the team two points in arrears instead of potentially being one to the good; the next Kerry attack led to David Moran’s expertly dispatched penalty and that was game over.

Up until then, the teams played out an entertaining contest, sprinkled with wonderful point taking and some tough tackling as was anticipated with feelings from the All-Ireland Final still lingering. These teams served up what was possibly the worst ever September showpiece yet with the stakes a lot less this weekend they showed what they’re capable of.

The Donegal team took to the field only a short time before throw in and its notable in recent weeks that the warm-up routine directly before the match has been cut much shorter than what it would have been in previous seasons. The side has started games well for the most part and they did so again yesterday with Ryan McHugh timing his run perfectly before collecting Martin O’Reilly’s pass and finishing with aplomb.

Bryan Sheehan then took control of proceedings via his exemplary dead ball ability, notching four first half frees as well as a 45’ from the floor. He also sent over an arching point from play, finishing with a personal tally of 0-6 before injury brought about a premature end to his day.

Michael Murphy wasn’t to be outdone in the placed ball stakes as the Donegal captain stroked over two monsters from fifty metres and another from a 45’ in the second half.

The wind has played a pivotal role in Donegal’s last two games, often to the detriment of good football. It wasn’t as pronounced yesterday in the shadow of the Stacks mountains but both teams did have difficulty in finding their target men full forwards.

Donegal had the wind at their backs in the first half but failed on a number of occasions to find Murphy. He cut a frustrated figure at times due to the ball coming into him, as well as the excellent spoiling display of his marker Mark Griffin.

Most observers in the crowd felt Michael was lucky to stay on the field following is over eager attempt to win a Kerry kickout ahead of Jonathan Lynne. The ball was there to be won but he knew there was every chance he’d take the man at the same time. They might not admit to it but every manager in the country would be disappointed if their player didn't go in 100% for such a challenge. Clare referee Rory Hickey, gave the visitors the benefit of the doubt.

The half time whistle sounded soon after and despite the belt he took, Lynne didn't feel as bad the local youngster who took an O'Neills in the face during the kids match.

After the change of ends it was Kerry who had problems finding their No 14 with numerous long balls going over Kieran Donaghy’s head and out for Donegal restarts.

Paul Durcan again found the going tough against Kerry, as their twin tower midfield of David Moran and Anthony Maher produced a dominant platform for their team. Durcan looked for short options whenever he could in an attempt to keep the ball away from the duo. His very first kickout of the game was a fluffed effort that went straight to the opposition corner forward, Barry John Keane and unfortunately it has happened on a few occasions in this league campaign. The ghosts of Croke Park in September are beneath the surface and haven’t yet gone away.

One man who didn’t feature last September but is improving every week is Hugh McFadden. Noticeable shy in possession in the early weeks of the year, he is becoming more vocal and authorative with each passing week and capped a fine display with a great score from distance. McFadden is playing a role that Donegal haven’t employed anyone to do in the last number of years, a stationary sweeper around his own 45m line. The elder McHugh, Frank McGlynn and others have undertaken varying sweeping functions in recent years with more emphasis on all action box-to-box play but the Kilybegs is a more specific link between defence and attack.

McFadden’s presence and Kerry’s ploy of playing three defenders on two Donegal forwards and allowing the rest of their team to press high up the field let Donegal play more of a counter attacking game; in stark contrast to last week they had space to attack into.

The purists from the Kingdom may not like to see Peter Crowley manning the zone in front of Murphy and Patrick McBrearty although in truth many of them may not have even noticed. Standing amongst Kerry fans, affectionately referred to as ‘animals’ by the late Paidi O’Se, is certainly an education. You wont learn much about football but you’ll learn plenty about the Kerry mindset and how each and every one of them think they should be wearing Eammonn Fitzmaurice’s Bainisteoir jacket.

“Let it in will ya?!” is the most common cry from the terraces, whether or not anyone is inside to receive the ball seems irrelevant! At one stage yesterday the crowd were aghast when they realised Johnny Buckley played a ball into the square yet Donaghy was out on the wing on the far side of the field – long ball is no good to Kerry folk without a big man to catch it.

The best of the lot was the man who thought that half time was up with thirty minutes on the clock; his embarrassed comrade then informing him that senior inter-county matches are seventy minute affairs these days (and have been since the mid-1970’s!).

The crowd weren’t too happy with the home side’s last play of the day either – after getting into Donegal’s half they were pressed and harried and ended up being pushed back, just like the Welsh did to us in Cardiff on Saturday, with the ball ending up back with goalkeeper Brendan Kealy. That Kerry retained possession for a number of minutes and created a scoring chance at the end of it all was lost on some supporters.

BBC’s John Inverdale got in trouble last week during his channel’s Cheltenham coverage with his rose-tinted remark, in Austin Stacks Park yesterday everything was seen through Kerry-tinted spectacles.

Despite their aversion to anything other than kicking the ball into the big man, Kerry’s most impressive scores were those they got through running from deep with Moran and defender Paul Murphy registering excellent points on the run in the first half.

Buckley took most of the plaudits yesterday but in giant midfielder Moran, Kerry have a real classy operator. Comfortable off both feet, great in the air and covers the ground well its great to see him in full flow after suffering so many injury problems early in his career.

In the end a two point margin of victory was probably just about right; a five or six point defeat would have been hard on Donegal and Murphy’s late penalty put a fairer complexion on the scoreboard.

Those three crucial wides played a big part in the defeat for Rory’s men, as well as Neil McGee’s error before Keane’s fisted goal. The normally economical Donegal haven’t been at their efficient best in front of the posts lately; yesterday’s defeat along with the reversal against the Dubs in Croke Park have seen possible points left behind.

While the football on show conveyed the class and quality that both teams possess, Donegal are now in a relegation dogfight and there’s every chance that an ugly shoot out with Tyrone awaits in Ballbofey in two weeks time. On that day points will most certainly override performance.

Donegal Young Guns Shoot Down Monaghan

Its three from three for Donegal in the league and with Jim McGuinness’ men leading the standings, the young leaders on the field of play are making a big impression. Odhran MacNiallais and Ryan McHugh were the stars of the show today as the home team got some measure of revenge against Monaghan for the Ulster Final reverse in Clones last July.

MacNiallais got the capacity crowd to their feet early on with a blistering goal; his presence of mind and spatial awareness created the chance and he finished with aplomb. Receiving the ball forty yards from goal, the boisterous Letterkenny support were encouraging him to shoot for a point but he saw space in behind the Monaghan rearguard and once he got past the first tackler with a devastating change of pace, he drove straight for the whites of Rory Beggan’s eyes in goal. The Gaoth Dobhair man added to his tally soon after with a point off that trusty left peg and added a further two scores in the second half to put the seal on a wonderful individual display. He also managed a sublime assist with a cushioned volleyed pass to set substitute Declan Walsh up for the game’s last point. The more we see of MacNiallais, the more he looks like a starter for the big one in Celtic Park on May 25^th.

Ryan McHugh picked up from where he left off in Salthill three weeks ago, producing another excellent performance both in defence and attack. He made the incisive burst to set Dermot Molloy away in the lead up to the second goal, eventually finished to the net by Colm McFadden. McHugh looked a little out of place during last year’s championship due to his diminutive frame but he’s obviously put in the hard work in the gym since and is well able for the cut and thrust of top level football.

Of course the old guard are still making a huge contribution and today was a big test of Jim’s defensive alignment as regards the positioning of Karl Lacey. A centre back for the most part in the McGuinness era, it looks as if he will spend most of his time in the last line of defence this year. Having been assigned marking duties on one of the country's leading attackers, Conor McManus, today was a good test to see how Lacey is faring back in his former No 2 jersey. While McManus was out in front quite a bit in the first half he rarely got past the Four Masters man and as the game wore on the battle pendulum swung towards Lacey. He produced a brilliant saving block on the goal-line towards the end of the match and thus earned his side a second successive clean sheet.

With McManus engaged in his battle with Lacey, attention turned to Monaghan’s newest sharp shooter, Jack McCarron. A nephew of the famous Ray, McCarron has a had a fine season to date and while not as prolific today he did show some glimpses of his talent, the highlight an exquisite point from the wing, kicking across the ball with his favoured left foot and gliding it over Paul Durcan’s crossbar.

Around the middle, the powerhouse displays of Martin McElhinney and Rory Kavanagh gave Donegal an excellent platform in the first half and despite leading by six points at half time there was a sense that it should have been even more. Kieran Hughes, the man who tormented the green and gold defence from full forward in last year’s provincial decider, came more into the game in the second half at midfield. It took until the last ten minutes for the hosts to shake off the stubborn Monaghan resistance; Paddy McBrearty’s brace after coming off the bench ensuring there’d be no comeback mounted from the Farney men.

Referee Barry Cassidy did his bit in keeping Monaghan in the game with some questionable decisions while he also awarded a yellow card instead of a black to Colin Walshe, after he deliberately dragged down MacNiallais. The Donegal players in general were unhappy with Cassidy, particularly when a high challenge on McHugh went unpunished, with Michael Murphy receiving a yellow for his protestations. Murphy was a bit out of sorts today with both he and Frank McGlynn guilty of some poor distribution.

With six points on the board, Donegal are well on their way to promotion and to a league final appearance at Headquarters. Two more wins out their four remaining games should seal the deal but Jim will want to get those victories recorded as quickly as possible so as to allow him to continue re-integrating the likes of McBrearty, Neil Gallagher and the soon to be returning Paddy McGrath and David Walsh into match action and get them up to speed.

A stuttering Meath side are the next visitors to the North West with Mac Cumhaill Park playing to host to that clash on Sunday next.

Donegal Dismiss Troubled Tribesmen

For the second week in succession Donegal steamrolled inferior opposition and they already look far too good for Division Two football. While the swagger present in Portlaoise last week wasn’t quite as obvious today, Jim McGuinness’ men were proficient in how they went about their business and bagged another pair of league points in the process.

Even before the ball was thrown in, the gulf in class and gap in professionalism of both teams was evident. The Donegal players arrived out on the field at Pearse Stadium forty minutes before throw-in to undergo their warm up routine - and they all looked the part decked out in their newly acquired O’Neills gear. Their drills had already been set up, cones laid out and the players went about their work before retreating to the dressing room for final words from their mentors. Galway on the other hand, only took the field twenty minutes before the start of the game and their preparation lacked the efficiency and organisation of their counterparts.A few handling errors by his men in the drills had McGuinness barking orders and demanding more of his troops. At the other end the hosts looked liked they had come for a training session.

When the action got underway, Donegal adapted to the conditions better and implemented their running game whilst playing against the strong breeze blowing in from the Promenade in Salthill. Galway, despite having the stiff wind at their backs, were reluctant to shoot from distance and they made hard work of the scores that came their way.

Once Colm McFadden goaled after a quarter of an hour, following a wonderful sweeping move that started in the opposite corner of the field, it gave his team a cushion that was never going to be threatened. Donegal’s play was patient, smart and precise – they were quite happy to take numerous passes before the correct run was made and then they attacked the central channel of the home defence.

Having only passed a pitch inspection this morning, the recent wet weather left the sod extremely soft today and both teams will be feeling it in their legs tonight. The state of the pitch made it particularly difficult for the forwards – several times decent passes were played in front of them but with little or no bounce off the soft turf many of these were spilt and ended up in the hands of defenders.

They stuck at it though and the starting full-forward line of McFadden, Michael Murphy and Dermot Molloy posted 1-10 of the 1-16 Donegal total. Add in Patrick McBrearty’s three fine points from play after his introduction from the bench and there is real quality in Donegal’s forward play right now. They’re all playing with confidence, evidenced by McFadden’s audacious effort to lob the Galway netminder Manus Breathnach after he left his goal unguarded in coming out to intercept a pass destined for Captain Murphy.

There’s plenty of confidence amongst the supporters at present too, with a huge Donegal faithful in attendance today and indeed at times it seemed as if we outnumbered the locals.

While Donegal got a lot of joy from attacking centrally, there was no such luck for Galway going in the opposite direction as they met Leo McLoone putting in a masterclass at centre-back. He was as solid as a rock for the seventy minutes, breaking up plenty of opposition attacks and getting forward when the chance arose as well. Pound for pound he’s one of the squad’s leading ball players and appears to have made the number six jersey his own with Karl Lacey being used in the full-back line of late. Lacey was initially given marking duties on James Kavanagh, the former Kildare star who transferred to the maroon and white this year. Kavanagh though dropped deep and played much of the game at midfield, a strange call by the management given his prowess in front of the posts.

Donegal’s other corner back, Ryan McHugh, had a good day at the office and is certainly stating his case for inclusion come the summer. His burst of pace and economy while in possession make him a solid option for numerous positions on the field and showed he can score too, firing over early in the second period.

Another who impressed was Martin McElhinney, who played at midfield partnering Rory Kavanagh in the middle in the first half and then the returning Neil Gallagher in the second. McElhinney’s strong, direct running has always been a big part of his game but his primary ball winning ability is improving with every outing and his all-round game today was excellent.

With the likes of McElhinney,the aforementioned McHugh and half forward Odhrán MacNiallais all revelling in their starting roles, the league is already proving very useful for the team as regards improving the strength of the squad. That will be tested in three weeks time when Donegal face into what will most likely be the toughest game in the division as Ulster Champions Monaghan come to O’Donnell Park. There will certainly be a bit of spice in that one after the events in Clones last July and at this rate it might well be a dress rehearsal for a league decider in Croke Park come April.

While Donegal’s start has been nothing but impressive, the visit of the Farney men will tell us a lot about how the team is shaping up and will be a more accurate barometer of what awaits over the course of the year.