DONEGAL ladies salvaged a third draw of the Division 2 campaign at the weekend but tougher tests are on the horizon as they can enjoy home comforts for the remainder of the league.
A third away trip in four games saw James Daly’s side pick up another draw on the road to Roscommon, to add to their home win over Monaghan.
Jodie McFadden’s penalty in the 72nd minute in Johnstown meant they drew 1-7 to 0-10 and remained unbeaten.
“It was one of those games where we were in it the whole way and we just didn’t take our chances,” Daly told the Donegal News.
“There’s a lot of inexperience and we tried to force things that weren’t on but we held them to ten points and just two with the wind in the second half.
“I didn’t think it was a penalty at the end but I thought we should have had two in the first half so it’s swings and roundabouts.”
Daly admits the side could be in a better position had they been more clinical in their three away draws, but is optimistic in the direction his youthful side is going in.
“We have six points from four games so we’re happy enough and going into your last three games, if you hadn’t lost any away games you’d be happy but there were two of those games we could have won and then we could have lost them all, so that’s how tight it is.
“I look at it as a glass half-full so we want to keep reinforcing that, they’re a great group and they’re all so enthusiastic.
“I keep banging the drum about how young the team is and we are. “At one time on the pitch last week we had Tara Rose (Mahon), Rhíana McColgan, Katie Dowds who are all still in school, Mia Bennett too then a handful who are only first year in University.
“They’re playing senior Division 2 football, it’ll take time and there may be a few tough days ahead but there is a lot of talent there and we’ll learn from our mistakes.
“They’re used to playing club football where they might be depended on to run all the time but you need to create space for your teammates, we were almost in for a goal on Sunday at one point but we just made one wrong pass.
“But on Sunday they never stopped and got the penalty to draw, it will get good but it will take some patience and time.”
Donegal can enjoy the fact that their final three games are at home, although it doesn’t get much easier as they still have to face the top two in Galway and Cork.
And it’s the Tribeswomen today in MacCumhaill Park who boast a 100% record with a +30 points difference as they look to make a swift return to Division 1.
The Connacht side won the provincial title and reached the All-Ireland final last year, before losing out to Kerry and more than half of that team have been featuring in the league campaign to date.
But Daly is relishing the challenge of what he agrees is their biggest test so far this season.
“It absolutely is, but we’re looking forward to it because we want to see how we can do against one of the top teams.
“Galway are one of the better teams in the country, they shouldn’t be in this league but they took their eye off the ball a bit last year and ended up getting relegated.
“Themselves and Cork are the two big teams in the division but we’re really looking forward to it to see how we stand up against them and hopefully we can get some success out of it.
“We have done really well defensively and our transitional play is good, but we’ve just not been taking our scores and we feel it will come when pitches dry up and we can play football better.
“It’s good for the girls to get playing in MacCumhaill Park, it’s a big ground and one of the better ones in the country and they’re all looking forward to it.
“We need to be getting a few more points in games. We play Armagh in either ten or eleven weeks (in the Ulster final) so I do have one eye on them and we have to start looking at Armagh, but it’s all about building and stepping up the training and S&C until then.
“We do want performances now too and see girls standing up looking to grab that starting jersey for the Ulster final and seeing who has that edge.”
Full-back Abigail Temple Asokuh was an early casualty against Roscommon on Sunday and is expected to miss the game, while Rhíana McColgan came off injured, but Daly is hopeful the midfielder will be back in time for the match.
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