AFTER THE ALLIANZ League was finished and Donegal had succumbed to a heavy semi-final defeat against Dublin, Rory Gallagher told us not to judge his team until the summer.
It was something Rory had been consistently saying throughout the League, but no-one was taking much notice of him.
So far, he’s been true to his word.
It’s not just that Donegal are in the final – a sixth Ulster final in a row at that – now that’s most impressive, but it’s the way that we got there.
The manner of the win last week against Monaghan was vital.
What we were worried about from early doors, the lack of energy and the apparent loss of hunger that we’d been told was so obvious in the League, the reasons the whole country were writing us off, were gone.
Hats off to Donegal and Rory. They’ve had things sport on so far.
Monaghan was never going to be a cakewalk, but Donegal did make things unnecessarily difficult for themselves by letting in the two goals in the first half on Saturday night.
What I’d be taking out of the replay win is that anything is possible for this Donegal team. And I mean anything.
To cope with the loss of Paul Durcan, Neil McGee and Neil Gallagher in the way Donegal did was in something to really admire.
You’d think that, at this stage of the squad’s development, that they would be critical losses, terminal even. They were obviously huge misses to the team, but Donegal coped so well.
The squad has been rejuvenated.
It might only be a couple of new players, like Kieran Gillespie and Eoin McHugh, but they’ve helped spark the fire again.
What’s been really impressive about Donegal this summer is that different players are taking the lead.
Against Fermanagh, Odhrán Mac Niallais and Frank McGlynn stepped up; in the first game against Monaghan it was Ryan McHugh and Kieran Gillespie who were on top; Martin O’Reilly last weekend was outstanding and Michael Murphy really showed his worth in the second half.
In both games, Paddy McGrath was magnificent. He’s really on song at the moment and Eamon McGee has hardly put a foot wrong in the Championship so far.
Anthony Thompson is revitalised and the return of Rory Kavanagh cannot be underestimated. It’s easy to see why Rory Gallagher personally called to his house to get him back in the squad.
He offers so much. We don’t expect to see as many of those lung-bursting runs now, but he’s still capable of them.
We have a good mix in the team now, a nice balance. There’s a lot of energy and even more battle in the squad. It’s a formidable mixture.
Rory Gallagher has them playing to their strengths, which is something a lot of teams aren’t able to do.
Donegal have seen the flashes of brilliance from the McHughs and the calm nature of Gillespie, who will feel, rightly, that he should keep his place for the final.
It would be hard on him to lose out, but Neil McGee will have to come in for someone. His experience is paramount on Sunday-week against Tyrone.
We need men to come in who would be capable of starting and that could be something we could use to our advantage in the final, even if we’ve not utilised the bench much so far in the Championship.
Look around that Donegal dressing room now and there is such togetherness, so much faith between them.
There are sometimes you look around you when you’re togging out and you know you can rely on some men, others you’re worrying if he can handle his man and there are those that you’d be thinking: ‘I hope to God he doesn’t lose us this game’.
Faith is a big thing for this Donegal team. They’re so together as a squad and it’s all about hard work.
O’Reilly is a player who is the very epitome of all of that.
He deserves every plaudit that he’s getting. He hung in there as an impact sub, while still doing all the work and more. He is the highlight of a guy that bides his time and gets rewards.
He’s gone from bit-part player to making a position for himself in the team.
There is plenty for Donegal to learn from last week’s game, especially the manner of the two Monaghan goals, but it’s a very important lesson when you learn it from a winning position.
It would have been a real travesty had Donegal lost on Saturday night because of those switch-offs, but Monaghan’s crowd really lifted them in the second half and their bench had a big impact.
The subs, like McCarthy and McCarron, ignited them and there are guys on the Donegal fringe who could do with just a little bit more game time.
Monaghan surprised me last week. They weren’t the Monaghan of old, particularly when they played within themselves in the first half, but Donegal still delivered a lot.
There were mistakes and fouls, but the attitude and the want to win was as good as I have ever seen. Donegal should have won by six or seven points, but as usual against Monaghan it came down to thin margins.
Donegal actually upped the ante from the drawn game and that was so encouraging to see. All the way through, Donegal always looked like they had that wee bit more in the locker.
It should fill Donegal people with great confidence going forward.
If Donegal played Kerry tomorrow, there’s no reason they couldn’t win.
Mayo? The same.
Dublin? Same thing.
And Tyrone? No reason Donegal won’t win.
Tyrone were merrily marauding through Cavan on Sunday, but in the Ulster final they’ll face a completely different animal – and they know it.
A lot of this comes down to the crunch mentality. Donegal do it so well and Tyrone are still a little brittle here. Tyrone will try and galvanise themselves because they’re so desperate to win Donegal. Beating Donegal now would almost mean as much as winning Ulster to them.
As big as it is, they know that when it comes down to those last 15 minutes and things are tight, that the experience and know-how all lies with Donegal. Panic can set in then.
I think back to the game against Kerry in Killarney and how Donegal controlled the ball so well that day.
Donegal lost a bit of discipline and switched off for the goal to Peter Crowley, but it was a day that told us a lot more about Donegal and how they had possession that day could yet turn out to be a big moment.
When they limped out against Mayo last year, Donegal were a beaten docket, a finished team that had run the race.
They’d got no hunger, no desire, no spark.
In Cavan last weekend, there was hunger, desire and a spark that could explode for Rory Gallagher and Donegal – and I can’t wait to see it.
RIP SÉAMUS MAC GÉIDIGH
WHEN I was playing for Donegal and St Eunan’s, Séamus Mac Géidigh was a constant presence at games. I didn’t have the cupla focal, so others would have been interviewed by Séamus for RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta, but since I’ve started doing some media work at games I got to know him.
He always made time for a chat. He always had such a warm smile and personality.
News of his death on Monday evening came as such a shock and he’ll be badly missed around the press box.
Condolences to his wife and family.
May he Rest In Peace.
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