Donegal to have too much firepower

Donegal face off against Tyrone on Saturday in an unusual position. Having been heavily criticised last year for their tactics, all of a sudden they have been serenaded with praise, with some pundits even suggesting Donegal could be a contender to win Sam Maguire.

The manner of the Derry victory was emphatic, and has rightly seen us receive plaudits from throughout the country. However, we must tread carefully. Derry were poor, they lacked fitness and had no plan to get ball to their forwards. Tyrone will not lie down so easily. Lest we forget, they are under the guidance of Mickey Harte. He has led Tyrone to three All-Irelands, and will almost certainly have a game plan to curtail Donegal.

In last year’s Ulster semi-final clash with Tyrone, Donegal won the game through a last minute Dermot Molloy goal.  Tyrone raced into a 6-1 lead in the first half as they outplayed Donegal. Sean Cavanagh was immense as he drove at the Donegal defence. Late points before half-time were a synonymous feature of last year’s run, and points by Kevin Rafferty and Kevin Cassidy pegged Tyrone back as the interval approached.

Donegal improved in the second half and drew level thanks to a goal by Colm McFadden, and went on to win via Molloy’s intervention. It’s also worth remembering that the Red hands were harshly reduced to 14 men for the last ten minutes, and if they had their full quantity who knows what way the game would have swayed.

Tyrone’s forward line is one of the best in the country and they pose a huge test. Against Armagh Peter Harte, Owen Mulligan were subdued, yet Martin Penrose and Mark Donnelly were given too much space and they did the damage. Penrose in particular, is a vastly underrated player. He plays the game with a lot of energy and endeavour and always contributes a few points for Tyrone. He is likely to roam out the field and his pace breaking through the defence will be a big worry for Donegal.

Much of Tyrone’s dominance over the last decade came from their half-back line. While other lines were chopped and changed regularly, the half back line of Davy Harte, Ryan McMenamin and Philip Jordan were the cornerstone for many victories over the years. However, injuries have left Harte on the fringes of the panel, Jordan has retired, while McMenamin had to be satisfied with a substitute jersey against Armagh.

Cathal McCarron, Conor Gormley and Sean O’Neill made up the half-back line against the Orchard county, and while they are good, strong players, they don’t possess the athleticism or attacking impetus that their predecessors provided. They are not renowned scorers, which is something that will suit the Donegal defence if they sit back and invite Tyrone on to them.

An interesting point arising from Tyrone’s victory over Armagh was that Armagh scored 1-13 against them. This is most unlike Tyrone teams under Harte, and I am convinced that if Donegal score 1-13 against Tyrone, they will be playing in the Ulster final. This was an Armagh side without the retired Steven McDonnell and in truth only Jamie Clarke would be considered a top class forward.

Paddy McBrearty has blossomed in the full forward line, and with McFadden and Michael Murphy in the forward ranks too, Donegal will fancy their chances of beating Tyrone if they can get quality service.  Kildare posted 16 points against them in the league final, and it’s not that long ago since Dublin destroyed them in Croke Park, scoring 22 points. The Tyrone defence is not the same scary proposition it once was.

Donegal’s defence was impressive against Derry, and the match ups against Tyrone’s forwards may be the deciding factor in Clones. Karl Lacey man marked Paddy Bradley against Derry and it will be interesting to see if he stays in the Full-back line on Saturday. Last year against Tyrone, he picked up their playmaker Brian McGuigan. McGuigan is on the bench this year, and Peter Harte has assumed the playmaker role. He was well marshalled against Armagh, and Lacey may be assigned to do the same in Clones.

I’d expect Neil McGee to pick up Stephen O’Neill, with his brother Eamon following Owen Mulligan. Derry used John McCamley as a sweeper in the quarter-final, and this left Frank McGlynn spare in defence. With Ronan McNabb expected to play a deep role for Tyrone, McGlynn may again be the spare man. This will suit Donegal as he is a good ball carrier and links up will with the forward line.

Tyrone had a good league campaign but injuries have seriously depleted them. Underage stars, Kyle Coney and Ronan O’Neill are out for the season, while 2008 Footballer of the year, Sean Cavanagh is also on the sidelines. They lose his ability to carry the ball forward and kick points from all sorts of angles, along with his leadership qualities. His absence is a massive bonus to Donegal.

Jim McGuinness’ biggest decision will be whether or not to reinstate Rory Kavanagh in the starting team. He may be tempted to stick with the winning formula from the victory over Derry. However, if Kavanagh is fit to play, he brings a wealth of experience to the team, and his know-how would be very important against Tyrone’s seasoned performers.

I think the first half will be a tight tense affair, but Donegal’s physicality and athleticism should wear down Tyrone as the match reaches its conclusion. The Donegal forwards have excelled in their last two outings and if they can get a good supply of possession, they should have too much firepower for the Red Hands.

Donegal defeat dismal Derry

Donegal cruised through to the Ulster semi-final with a comprehensive victory over Derry in Ballybofey, on Saturday. McGuinness’ charges dominated all over the field, and posted an impressive tally of 2-13. Derry were terrible, however ,Donegal can only beat what’s in front of them and they did so with ease.

Derry’s performance reminded me of Donegal’s implosion in Crossmaglen two years ago in the last game of John Joe Doherty’s tenure. That day Donegal were unfit, devoid of a game plan and under the guidance of a limited, old school manager. I’ll certainly never forget the sight of McFadden and co laughing on the bench as Armagh slaughtered us. That day we were humiliated, in a similar manner, to which Derry were on Saturday.

There were stories circulating in the lead-up to Saturday's game about poor attendance at Derry training sessions, yet it was still remarkable to see how far behind they were in the fitness stakes, in comparison with Donegal. They lacked sharpness and tired very early. I couldn’t understand their naivety in playing against Donegal’s blanket defence. Long hopeful balls into Paddy Bradley were always going to be easily mopped up by Donegal, and he was completely suffocated out of the game. The Derry subs didn’t seem too bothered either, laughing as their chances of collecting an Ulster medal drifted further and further away.

John Brennan was lauded in the press last year for his attitude towards the game. He didn’t buy into the need for defensive strategies and played the game in the traditional way. He mentioned a challenge game against Sligo, in which there was a big black box sitting on the sideline. All the Sligo players were connected to heart monitors, and their information was being transferred back to the big black box. Brennan remarked that he thought it was a barbecue, and that he was going to get a burger. Derry didn’t need all this fancy equipment, they were just going out to play the game.

A refreshing outlook in the midst of warm weather training camps and early morning gym sessions, was the general consensus among the GAA correspondents. But this attitude should not be praised. Brennan and Derry are living in the dark ages, in the same way to which Donegal were before McGuinness took control. You can’t just go out to play the game anymore. Everything has to be prepared meticulously. Strategies have to be devised and new training regimes have to be adhered to. Anything that can be done to give the team that extra edge, should be done. Donegal have changed and evolved, while Derry have found themselves going backwards.

Donegal’s defensive system was superb again. No Derry player was allowed time or space in the scoring area, and the tackling was ferocious. It was also interesting to see a new attacking dimension to our play. A three man full-forward line was played almost the whole game, while the speed of that counter-attack was so much faster than last year.

The second goal was the score of the game, and it emphasised both the strong, stubborn defensive system, and the new offensive strategy. Frank McGlynn, Eamon McGee and David Walsh ripped the ball away from Michael Friel, and the speed of the counter attack was frightening. McBrearty superbly ran at the defence and had three players in support, but correctly chose to pass to McFadden and he was never going to pass up the opportunity to bury it to the net.

It was interesting that we saw a lot of joy down the left-hand side of the pitch. Last year, we became accustomed to seeing Anthony Thompson, Mark McHugh and Karl Lacey raid down the right flank, yet the left side was never utilised in the same manner.  On Saturday, the link up play between Frank McGlynn and David Walsh was fantastic, and their opponents had no way of stopping them. McGlynn was an unsung hero in the tem last year, and with two impressive performances under his belt already this year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see an All-Star award head to Glenfin this year.

I was impressed with Paddy McBrearty again and he has developed a lot from his debut season. He now poses a far bigger threat to the opposition. His ball-winning skills are vital and he was out in front of his marker all day. He played an integral role in both goals and almost added another goal of his own. With a ball winner inside in the Full-forward line, Murphy can be released to play out the field, where he can link the defence with the attack.

Ryan Bradley had a good outing. He had been criticised in recent weeks, but his physicality around the middle of the field is a very important aspect of Donegal’s play. In the absence of Rory Kavanagh he really lifted his game and he combined well with Neil Gallagher throughout the 70 minutes. His tackling has improved significantly and he doesn’t seem to give away clumsy frees anymore. It was also good to see Neil McGee back to his old form in defence, and he’ll need another big performance against Tyrone.

The big worry coming out of the game is that we haven’t had a stern test before we play the Red Hands. They had a tough game against Armagh and had to dig deep to find the win. On the other hand, we’ve strolled through our two games without ever really being tested. Tyrone won’t be lacking in fitness or match sharpness, and Mickey Harte certainly will have a game plan devised to try and break down Donegal.

Donegal to shade rematch of last year’s Ulster Final

“I want a proper final next year, with us two men back.” That was the message Paddy Bradley delivered to Kevin Cassidy, which he recounted in the infamous ‘This is our year’ book, following the news that Eoin Bradley would be joining his brother in the stands for last year’s Ulster final.

Bradley, who was out with a cruciate knee injury, probably realised that Derry’s chances had gone when his brother Eoin got injured in Ballinascreen on the Sunday before their clash with Donegal. Derry went into the game without their two most potent attackers, and their final tally of eight points shows that the absence of the Bradley brothers was one of the primary reasons that Donegal won the Anglo Celt Cup.

Almost a year later, Cassidy has since departed from the Donegal county panel, but Bradley and Derry now have their chance to get retribution for that defeat in Clones. Albeit, at the earlier stage of the quarter-final.

The Derry management team felt they were hard done by in last year’s final. The controversial awarding of a penalty proved to be the catalyst for Donegal’s victory. Michael Murphy’s penalty was the turning point, given Donegal a lead of three points, a lead they would never relinquish. Derry were also denied a penalty themselves, when Neil McGee’s frontal charge on Emmet McGuckin was not penalised.

The return of Paddy Bradley is a massive boost to Derry. They lacked a focal point in the Ulster final last year, with Neil McGee dominating Cailean O’Boyle. This forced them into hand-passing laterally across the field, which the Donegal defence had no problem in mopping up. Bradley has indicated that this may be his last year in the oak leaf jersey and he will be determined to win that elusive Ulster medal before he hangs up his boots.

There is uncertainty regarding Eoin Bradley’s participation in Ballybofey, with reports circulating that he is not yet match fit. If he does make it, the match-ups on the field will be fascinating. Which Bradley will Neil McGee pick up? Does Declan Walsh have the necessary experience to curtail either of them? Eamon McGee has returned from injury and could be used, while there is always the option of moving Karl Lacey back into full-back line to nullify the danger. However, Donegal will lose his impetus in the half-back line as a result.

Likewise, Donegal go into Saturday’s clash with injury doubts of their own. Rory Kavanagh faces a fitness battle to make it, while Michael Murphy’s preparations have not gone to plan. A lot will depend on the role the Glenswilly man has on Saturday. He has a hugely impressive record against Derry. With Kevin McCloy and Kevin McGuckin recently retired, Derry appear to be lightweight in the full-back position, and this is an area Donegal will be looking to exploit. Even, a second-half cameo role from Murphy may prove to be the difference.

Derry’s league form was poor, winning just two games, and narrowly avoiding relegation. They drew their last game with Louth in Celtic Park, and this would certainly not inspire confidence, following the wee county’s collapse against Dublin two weeks ago.

Much will depend on how much John Brennan’s charges have improved from last year’s defeat to Donegal. On that day, they lost the midfield battle and only converted eight of 22 scoring opportunities. While the Kielt brothers, Charlie and James, kicked some superb scores, the vast majority of their efforts were reckless and pointless. If they are going to beat Donegal’s defensive system on Saturday, they simply have to improve in front of the posts.

Donegal will take very little from the Cavan game. It was over as a contest before half-time, and it will bear no reflection on Saturday’s game. One worry would be over Paddy McBrearty’s lack of match practise in recent weeks, but aside from that, the remainder of the side should be fresh. Neil McGee struggled against Eugene Keating, but in a more competitive and intense game, it is unlikely that the Donegal defence will allow any Derry forward the time and space they afforded Keating.

I foresee Derry having trouble getting the ball to their forwards, and Donegal attack should have too much ability for Derry’s defence. Donegal have been hard to beat in MacCumhaill Park under Jim McGuinness, and I expect them to win by a narrow margin in a low scoring affair.