Donegal made a strong start to their league campaign with a good win over Dublin at Croke Park last Saturday.
The Dubs might be in transition under Ger Brennan but it was still an impressive result in difficult conditions.
When word came through that there were three late changes to the Donegal team with Michael Langan, Finnbarr Roarty, and Ryan McHugh coming into the side, you knew they were going to be pushing hard for the win.
And they were excellent in the first half. They possibly could have been a bit more clinical and maybe that was down to the weather but Donegal dominated.
Shea Malone scored a super goal with an emphatic finish to the net and Dublin were fortunate that their goal wasn’t breached again. Hugh McFadden hit the post just as the hooter was going.
The second half wasn’t quite as polished and Dublin picked it up when they made a couple of changes.
Donegal did look open at times but Langan and Daire Ó Baoill landed some good two-pointers and they were always in control even if the Dubs got a little too close for comfort at the end.
There’s been a lot said about how Donegal defended in the first half with a man-to-man approach. The defenders were on their toes and keen to get good pressure on.
Now you have to consider that Con O’Callaghan turned down a free thirty metres from goal to play the ball backwards and try and work a two-pointer.
So Donegal had to be alert that there was danger around the arc and no point in sitting deep.
There’s been a lot of talk since about zonal defending and what Donegal will do but it might be as simple as a horses for courses approach.
They might mix it up depending on conditions or who is available. You don’t have to stick with one tactic throughout the year.
There were plenty of positives. Jason McGee was forceful once again in the middle and Donegal are a better team when he’s fit and firing.
Hugh McFadden looks mobile and aggressive and can be happy with the start to the year he has made.
Langan deservedly got man-of-the-match and to me he is a complete footballer. He can do everything to a strong level both on the ball and off it.
People said at times last year that Michael isn’t a fetcher but he showed on Saturday night that he can field the ball with the best of them.
Finnbarr Roarty and Ryan McHugh were good in the half-back line and Brendan McCole had a decent battle with Con O’Callaghan.
Gavin Mulreany also deserves credit. He landed two-pointers when Donegal needed him and in general his kick-outs were good.
Donegal have a very good goalkeeper in Shaun Patton to come back in but Mulreany just has to keep the pressure on.
Kerry
You have to move on quickly in the National League and Kerry come to Ballyshannon this week for what should be a good match.
The All-Ireland Final is firmly in the past now and both sides will look considerably different from last July.
It’s a big game for the Aodh Ruadh club and I’m sure there will be a huge crowd at the match.
David Clifford is hot property and you can be sure that he will be mobbed at the final whistle.
The Fr Tierney Park playing surface is excellent and I’d expect a good, fast-paced match.
Kerry were very, very lucky to beat Roscommon last week.
The Rossies had a great chance to go in front late on but couldn’t take it.
Kerry then went down the pitch and won a dubious free. The ball was punted long and rising star Tomás Kennedy plucked it from the sky and fisted over just as the hooter blew.
On another day, they would have been beaten.
Donegal will take heart from that game. Roscommon were without their St Brigid’s sizeable contingent.
I think Jim will be keen to get another win on the board and if they play at a good tempo, I think they could have too much for Kerry as long as McCole can keep a reasonable handle on David Clifford.
Fermanagh
We had a disappointing start to the league with Fermanagh as we were beaten by Wexford in Brewster Park.
Pre-season had gone well but we just didn’t perform as we would have liked on Sunday and we can have no complaints.
We had enough chances to win two games but didn’t take them.
We had a lot of wides and dropped balls short and missed three goal chances as well.
At this level, you have to take your chances or you’re going to be punished.
Wexford were more ruthless than our boys and deserved the points.
We have to get better and the boys have been working hard on their finishing this week.
We’re back at it this weekend for a local derby with Sligo in Markievicz Park.
Sligo were beaten by Westmeath by a point last week and they were very unlucky not to take something from the game.
Dessie Sloyan and Eamon O’Hara are over Sligo now with Eamon McGee as part of the management ticket and I’d expect them to be strong. We will have to be at our best to get something from the match.
Ulster
There’s a big Ulster derby this week between Tyrone and Derry in Division Two and both teams are under a bit of pressure.
Derry lost out to Meath and despite the change of management, they haven’t had the start to the season they would have liked.
Meath are a coming team but Derry only scored 1-13 and they had a fortunate goal in that as well.
I have to say I was quite surprised with the Tyrone team that took to the field against Kildare.
I know they have injuries but there were a lot of new players being tried out all over the field.
Kildare were good value for their draw and Tyrone needed a big showing from Ethan Jordan who scored 1-9. Jordan played very well against Donegal in the Ulster Under 20 Final in 2020 but there hasn’t been much chat about him since then.
It’s a big game in Celtic Park between Derry and Tyrone this week and you’d have to think the loser will find it very difficult to win promotion.
Armagh made light work of Monaghan in Clones.
Both teams are down a lot of players from last year but Armagh have greater depth.
They have players that have sat around for the last two or three years waiting on their chance, and now they are getting it.
I think at this stage, you’d have to say Armagh are the biggest threat to Donegal in the Ulster Championship.
Colleges Football
Abbey Vocational School went very close but just missed out on back-to-back MacRory Cup Finals.
There was a big crowd in Trummon for the match and it was a cracker.
Abbey led for most of the way but St Patrick’s Academy gradually clawed them back.
The match went to extra-time and the Dungannon side just had too much then.
That was probably always likely to be the case. The Academy and nine different clubs represented in their starting line-up whereas 17 of the 19 players used by Abbey were from Four Masters.
Abbey have really raised standards in Donegal schools football and hopefully other teams can try and emulate and better their success in years to come.
St Eunan’s College have reached the MacLarnon Cup Final which is good to see.
It’s been a while since St Eunan’s have had a good senior schools team which is a surprise when you consider their feeder clubs.
However, they beat Holy Trinity Cookstown well last week and they were in the MacRory final a few years ago.
There’s a good spread from the different clubs in the St Eunan’s panel and they will fancy their chances in the final.
Carndonagh Community School are playing St Ciaran’s, Ballygawley in the Markey Cup Final today and it would be great if they could bring silverware back to Inishowen.
I’ve said before that I would like to see Donegal teams winning more at schools and underage level.
It hasn’t stopped the county producing good footballers as we have seen in the last couple of
weeks.
But you need to make sure you have that steady conveyor-belt of talent coming through with a winning mentality.
The day you think you’ve it sorted is the day you start to regress so the hard work has to keep going all the time.
