DONEGAL MANAGER RORY GALLAGHER has a confident air about him this week ahead of Saturday’s Ulster semi-final against Monaghan.
Donegal take on the Farney men at Breffni Park at the penultimate hurdle, having clashed in the last three Ulster finals.
Monaghan won the finals in 2013 and 2015 with Donegal taking victory in the 2014 decider.
Monaghan are the defending champions, but Gallagher has the cut of a man whose side is ready for the assignment. Donegal are bidding to reach an unprecedented sixth final in a row with Monaghan aiming to get to the final for a fourth successive year.
[adrotate group=”43″]“It’s a huge game with a big prize,” Gallagher told Donegal Sport Hub.
“It’s a big game with the rivalry and all. They’ve had the edge, but we can’t turn the clock back. We have to focus on the here and now.
“It’s up to us to find the level of performance that we’ll need.”
[adrotate group=”53″]Monaghan blitzed Down in the second half of their quarter-final while Donegal defeated Fermanagh last Sunday at Sean MacCumhaill Park.
Gallagher said: “In some ways it’s an easier game to get ready for. Fermanagh was a new team for us. It’ll be easy for both teams to get motivated for it.
“It’s not that we need something new, but it’s finding something better. Monaghan have been good at stopping our big players. We’ve got to be better.”
[adrotate group=”70″]Saturday’s semi-final will come only 13 days after the 2-12 to 0-11 win over Fermanagh, but that turnaround was pencilled into Donegal’s notebooks from the moment the draw was made last October.
Gallagher, who still hasn’t given up hope of having the suspended Neil McGee getting a reprieve, said; “From the draw was made, we’ve felt that we’d have a big 13 days. We have had them planned out from early in the year.
“It’s mentally getting ourselves right and getting every man to know their job and roles. We’ll look forward to it because it’s a great occasion to get to play Monaghan.”
Listen to the full interview below …
https://soundcloud.com/donegalsporthub-club-notes/rory-gallagher-before-donegal-v-monaghan
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