Donegal through to another Ulster Final

Donegal are through to an Ulster final against Down, after a hard fought victory over Tyrone in Clones. A strong second half display put them four points up with ten minutes remaining, but a mini Tyrone revival could have seen them win the game at the death.

In last week’s Gaelic Life, Tyrone player Brian McGuigan talked about their need for patience and perseverance against Donegal’s defensive system. Tyrone did this in the first half with their slow, patient build up. Owen Mulligan and Mark Donnelly were getting bottled up when the ball was kicked in, so Tyrone hand-passed the ball at speed from deep, waiting to find a man in space to kick it over the bar.

The wind was strong in the first half, and Tyrone used the elements well. Joe McMahon, Conor Clarke and Sean O’Neill were able to kick long-range points. I was delighted to see us go in at half-time only one point down. The wind was strong and worth more than a one point advantage, and with the Donegal panel’s fitness levels so high, I was confident that we would still be victorious at the final whistle.

It was worrying that we gave away two goal scoring opportunities in the first ten minutes. Mark Donnelly and Joe McMahon both got in behind the defence and could have found the net. Donnelly took his point, while McMahon failed with his goal attempt. Jarlath Burns, on commentary for the BBC, said that McMahon should have gone for a point too. But against Donegal, opposition teams simply have to take goal chances when they arise.

Donegal don’t leak goals. They have only conceded two in the nine championship games under Jim McGuinness. And while there was some nervous moments in the dying seconds of the match, the panic button will almost always be pushed in those circumstances. If Tyrone teach Down anything, it will be that you must score goals when given the opportunity.

A 20 minute spell in the second half was the catalyst for the victory. Perhaps, it was the extra seven minutes they took at half-time which left them reinvigorated. Rory Kavanagh and Ryan Bradley drove at the Tyrone defence, and Mickey Harte’s side simply couldn’t handle Donegal’s pace and power.

Second half spells of dominance have become a recurring theme under McGuinness. They did it against Derry and Kildare last year, and I get the impression that the Donegal players know that despite their defensive tactics, they can still pull away from the opposition at any moment.

Tyrone looked lacklustre in the second period. Perhaps the intensity of the first half took too much energy from them. Their big players, Penrose, Peter Harte and Stephen O’Neill were subdued, and the Donegal defence coped with them with ease.

I thought Colm McFadden had a good second half. Yes, his petulance and stupidity saw him see red, yet he stood up and was counted when it really mattered. Conor Gormley has in previous years had somewhat of an indian sign over McFadden, but in the second half he really struggled to get to grips with the St Michaels man.

Eamon McGee, in the absence of his brother, impressed me, while Frank McGlynn had another solid outing. Michael Murphy and Karl Lacey did not have brilliant games by their illustrious high standards, but they still do the basics so well. Count how many times they give the ball away in a match. It rarely happens.

Paul Durcan pulled off a fantastic save to deny Penrose at the death. He has taken a lot of unfair criticism over the years, and it is only two years ago since he was hauled off at half time against Clare in the qualifiers. He now appears more confident, and with Donegal’s kick-outs so important to the manner in which they play, he has become a vital player for the green and gold.

Donegal were impressive, although they can still improve significantly. They can look forward to another Ulster final, and now have the opportunity be the first Donegal team ever to retain the Anglo Celt Cup.