Donegal head into their Ulster semi-final with Down on Sunday, as
resounding hot favourites, and buoyed on by an impressive victory over Tyrone. In
the lead up to the clash on May 26, many commentators had suggested that Donegal
would struggle against an in-form Tyrone team. However, Donegal's emphatic victory
sent a message to the country, that the Champions would not be giving up their
crown without a fight.
Down were also unfancied for their quarter-final, but
produced an excellent display to beat Derry in Celtic Park. Like Donegal, they
went into that game after suffering relegation from Division 1, but they showed
tremendous spirit to come from behind and record a five-point victory in a
fantastic game of football. Although it was probably the best game of the
season to date, there is no hiding from the fact that the match lacked intensity.
Derry did not put enough pressure on their opponents and Down will always fancy
their chances in a shoot-out.
James McCartan’s side have developed a reputation for being
soft in recent years. Every good performance they have delivered seemed to be
followed by a dismal display. Their
defence is regarded as one of the weakest in the country, and in four years
under McCartan they do not appear to have resolved this issue in any way. They
reached the All-Ireland final in 2010, but have fallen away drastically since then,
and they are no longer considered one of the top eight teams in Ireland. Their temperament
is weak and Donegal will try to break them mentally, like they did in last year’s
Ulster final when they beat Down by 11 points.
While Down’s temperament is questionable, Donegal’s is
certainly not. They delivered a statement of their intent in their comprehensive
win over Tyrone in the Ulster quarter-final. Pundits were quick to write
off Donegal’s chances before the game, with many pointing to their relegation from Division 1, as
the first indication of their imminent decline. However, Donegal showed that
they haven’t lost any of their hunger, and to keep Tyrone scoreless for 33
minutes in the second half is a remarkable feat. This tells us that they are just as resolute in defence
this year, as they were last.
Donegal could have succumbed to the pressure with Karl Lacey
absent for most of the game, and Frank McGlynn departing early through injury.
However, they remained composed and their replacements showed their
capabilities. One of the main observations during Donegal’s disappointing league campaign was that they
did not have enough depth in their panel, but the important roles played by
Declan and David Walsh, Martin O’Reilly and championship debutant Ross Wherity
showed that Donegal do have players pushing hard for starting positions.
The form of Paddy McBrearty will give Donegal folk great
confidence as Sunday approaches. He looks like a completely different player
this year, and since he was left out of the league game against Tyrone in
Omagh, he has really lifted his performances. He was brilliant against Tyrone in
the championship, and then backed that it up with two stellar displays for
Kilcar in the club championship. I attended the second of those games against
St Michaels, and he was sensational, kicking points from all angles. McBrearty’s
improvement will likely enable Michael Murphy to drift further out the field. While I
feel Murphy is at his best on the edge
of the square, his selflessness will ensure that there is no drop in his performance.
His presence around the middle of the field could be crucial against Down, especially
with his Glenswilly teammate, Neil Gallagher missing out through injury.
Down will be targeting the midfield as a sector in which
they can dominate. Their midfield duo of Kalum King and Kevin McKernan were
superb against Derry, and with Ambrose Rogers playing at wing-forward they have
a lot of options for kick-outs. McKernan kicked four fantastic points against
Derry, and Donegal will have to curtail his influence. Down won the midfield battle
against Donegal in the first half of last year’s Ulster final, and it took the
arrival of Neil Gallagher to steady Donegal. However, Jim McGuinness will not
have the luxury of introducing the Glenswilly man this weekend.
Donegal have named Ryan Bradley in midfield, and assuming he
does line out in that position, it is a massive game for the Buncrana man. Bradley
has struggled badly this year, and is in danger of losing his place in the
team. The last time he performed to a high level in a Donegal shirt was against
Down in last year’s Ulster Final. He has played his best football for Donegal when he has played at midfield, so Gallagher’s misfortune
may benefit Bradley.
Down have always produced good forwards, and in Donal O’Hare,
they have one of the best young talents in the country. He was excellent in the
league in a team that was struggling, and he has bulked up significantly this
year. He showed what he was capable of in the game against Derry, but he will
be in for a tough afternoon, with one of the McGee brothers likely to be
shadowing him. Benny Coulter did not have a good game against Derry, and he is
now nearing the end of his career. However, he is still a threat, and will
punish any errors made by the Donegal defence.
Down’s best player is their captain, Mark Poland and if they
can nullify his effect, they will win the game. Poland is Down’s playmaker and
almost all of their attacks go through him. He has great composure on the ball
and rarely gives away possession. When they looked to be dead and buried
against Derry, Poland took the fight to the Oak Leaf men scoring 1-1 and creating a goal. If Donegal can stop him
dictating play, it will severely weaken the Down forward line.
It is on the other side of the pitch where Down tend to come
up short. Derry had only one top quality forward in Eoin Bradley, yet Down
struggled to deal with him. They decided to play with Peter Turley as a
sweeper, but he was ineffective in that role and offered no protection to their
full back line. Donegal have three forwards of Bradley’s ability, so Down will
need to lift their game if they are to stop Donegal. They will also have to
stop conceding goal opportunities if they are to have any chance of winning. Derry could have scored three goals against them in the first-half,
and Donegal will punish them if they are afforded goal chances.
Down have brought in renowned coach Niall Moyna this year
and reports are that he has them in great shape. Moyna has an impressive record
with DCU in the Sigerson cup, and he will have devised a plan to try and stop
Donegal. The question is have they got the quality in their panel to stop Donegal?
I don’t think they have the firepower to break down Donegal’s rigid defence,
and I think their defence will struggle against Donegal’s in-form forward line. With McGuinness at the helm, it
is hard to envisage his team becoming complacent and I expect Donegal to win by
at least six points.
