Determined Karen Guthrie kicks over a score.
BY CHRIS MCNULTY
KAREN Guthrie is in her tenth year as a Donegal senior player, but the Castlefin woman has rarely enjoyed her football as much.
The winning of the All-Ireland Intermediate title in 2010, when Donegal overcame Waterford in the Croke Park final, is the undoubted golden moment from her career, but the Glenfin midfielder can feel the buds blooming again this springtime.
Too often, the ladies game was treated as an afterthought, even within their own ranks, but following wins over Down, Armagh and Clare, the signs are once again promising for the Tir Chonaill women.
Sunday’s 5-12 to 1-3 away win in Clare made it three from three and this Sunday Kildare visit Moyle View Park in Milford (throw-in 1pm) with Davy McLaughlin’s girls bidding to continue their march. Guthrie, a former captain of the Donegal seniors, has heard the talk before, but this year she can feel as if they can walk the walk, too.
“The set-up we have no really mirrors the way we were back in 2010,” says the 27-year-old who works with Donegal Sports Partnership.
“Everything in the set-up is first class. Conditioning has been a massive part of it and Adam Speer has been great to us. The discipline, also, is excellent. We’re there to do the work and we’re there to work towards the objectives we’ve set down for ourselves. Ultimately, we all want the same things and we all want to be successful.
“Adam has brought everything with him. He’s been brilliant and we’re sticking rigidly to the plan. You’re only kidding yourself if you think you can go out now without that kind of work done.
“There are times when you’d just be in there going through the motions, but this year is different. There’s a purpose there now and you genuinely aren’t looking past the next game. We’re lucky that the boys have taken us on and given us a fighting chance. That’s all we ever wanted.”
SEE FRIDAY’S DONEGAL NEWS FOR FULL INTERVIEW
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