Tension, anxiety, excitement, fear, hope, the most incredible satisfaction, you name it, we felt it. July 30th, 2011, a day that will live long in the memory of every man, woman and child from Donegal.
It was like an action film, that Quentin Tarantino would have been proud to put his name to. Two teams throwing everything they had at each other, under the shining lights of Croker. No team deserved to lose, but someone, somewhere was smiling on the Green and Gold.
People will point to the square ball as the turning point. And it was, Donegal would not have come back from that setback. I have sympathy for kildare, and for the referee David Coldrick. They are hard decisions to call, split second decisions, and he doesn't get a second look at it. In the times that we are now living in, why we don't use technology, that would eliminate human error, is beyond me.
But Kildare were three points up, still in the driving seat, and they should not have let the game slip away. Ironically, in a team so disciplined and organised as kildare, their downfall was not following the simple basics. When a player is substituted, his marker should immediately pick up his replacement. For what ever reason, Hugh McGrillen (who it has to be said, had a great game), decided to give Christy Toye the freedom of Croke Park, and when his chance arrived he buried it to the back of the net.
Donegal defended brilliantly throughout, but they most certainly played their best football when they chased the game. Chances and scoring opportunities arose more frequently, as Donegal players pushed further up the field. This leaves McGuinnessn in a dificult position. Does he leave the effective defensive system the way it is, or does he tweak it slightly in the hope of scoring more?
In my opinion, the two most important scores in the game, bear an uncanny resemblence. Mark McHugh's point with the last kick of the first half, and Karl Lacey's point on the final whistle of the first period of extra time, were hugely significant scores for Donegal. Both kicks were taking from nearly the exact same position, both players showed great determination to score their points, and both men ensured that Donegal went in at those breaks with only a two point deficit. The difference between a two point lead and a three point is massive.
Once again, Lacey and McGee were phenomenal. No point in waiting, they may as well get the tuxedo ready for the All-Star Banquet. Frank McGlynn (after a poor start) and Ryan Bradley put in great shifts, while the leadership shown by Murphy and Cassidy was incredible. I'd imagine that Cassidy will never have to buy a pint in the county again, after his majestic kick.
Obviously, there is a lot of work to do. Croke Park is very unforgiving, and if you're not up to the job, you will soon be found out at Headquarters. McBrearty, McFadden, McGrath and Rafferty, in particular , will not be happy with their showings, and a big improvement is needed if Donegal will be attending on the third Sunday of September. The first half was truly dreadful to watch, and if Donegal play as bad as that again, they will lose.
However, last Saturday night will stand to them. We are now sitting at the top table of Gaelic football, and are awaiting the winners of Dublin and Tyrone in an All-Ireland semi-final. Who would have predicted that at the start of the year?
Don't you just love it when Championship Summers turn into Championship Autumns?
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