BY RYAN FERRY
IT’S hard to avoid the sense of déjà vu for the Donegal footballers this weekend and they will have to tread carefully.
It feels eerily similar to the June Bank Holiday in 2024 when Donegal succumbed to Cork at Páirc Ui Rinn.
Jim McGuinness’s side went into that match as strong favourites off the back of a good result, and knowing that a win would send them through to the quarter-finals.
Cork didn’t read the script two years ago and they’ll be aiming to upset the odds again this week.
Donegal have been lauded after their win over Kerry and are joint-favourites for the All-Ireland. Safe passage into the last eight is their reward if they prevail on Saturday.
The key difference of course is this time the match is being held in Donegal.
Cork won’t feel the energy off the tight terraces at Páirc Ui Rinn, and a huge proportion of the 16,600 sell-out attendance will be wearing green and gold.
MacCumhaill Park is back open for business, and Donegal’s record there over the last 15 years makes it a daunting place to visit.
The game is also very different now to what it was 24 months ago.
Cork’s first goal that day came when Donegal lost possession and there was nobody left in their own half with Matty Taylor able to race through and score a goal.
Donegal allowed their opponents to play a slow-paced and physical game and were stung and it’s likely that McGuinness be focusing in on that this week.
After losing to Down seven weeks ago, Donegal can’t afford to take any side for granted.
The Mourne county sent a reminder to all that they can be knocked down and Donegal will have to hit the right performance on Saturday.
By this stage last year, Donegal were gearing up for their seventh championship match of the campaign.
Saturday’s outing will be only their third and that freshness could stand to them in the long run. The three-week break has helped the noise from Kerry fracas to gradually subside.
Things will heat up from this point and while there will be a safety net with defeat to Cork, there is huge incentive to win.
The losers in MacCumhaill Park will play a winner from Round 2B next weekend and if they come through that, they will be straight out again the following week against a county who has had the feet up for a fortnight.
Donegal saw off Monaghan in similar circumstances last year but only after a genuine scare and history would suggest that the sides who are fresh and primed heading into the last eight fare better.
McGuinness and his team had a super win over Kerry but Micheal Burns’s red card had a massive impact so they won’t be getting too carried away.
There were issues with their own restarts in the first half and Kerry stretched the defence with their kick-passing game.
However, they were excellent with the ball in hand and brought a high efficiency level in front of the posts. If they can mirror that this weekend, they will be very hard to stop.
The murmurs from Cork are that Donegal is the worst draw they could have got and that outlook is understandable.
Traditionally, they struggle in Ulster. This year already they were hammered by Derry in the National League and while they saw off Tyrone in Omagh, the Red Hands had nothing to play for that day.
Colm O’Callaghan was also sent off against Meath in the last match and he will be a huge loss if missing.
It has been suggested that Cork are bringing his case all the way to the Disputes Resolution Authority this week which shows how pivotal he is to their cause.
O’Callaghan is one of the best midfielders in Ireland and in that game in Páirc Ui Rinn two years ago, he was man-of-the-match.
He brings serious industry and athleticism to the party as well as aerial prowess.
That said, Cork do boast plenty of size with the likes of Ian Maguire, Paul Walsh, Sean McDonnell, Sean Walsh, and Ruairi Deane all likely to play at some stage.
And the Rebels have no problem in launching their kick-outs long to the contest.
It appears that John Cleary is not quite happy with his goalkeeping options and Patrick Doyle and Micheál Aodh Martin have shared the number one jersey at times this season.
Doyle was the man in the hotseat for the Meath match three weeks ago and he’s likely to get the green light again.
Donegal will feel it’s an area that they can exploit and you can expect a big press in Ballybofey. McGuinness will want his men sharper on the breaking ball than they were in Fitzgerald Stadium.
Cork have had a decent campaign so far but they lacked pace and dynamism in the Munster Final.
Donegal aren’t short in that regard but they have to play at a high tempo and not allow the match to become slow and laborious.
A huge crowd will be in attendance itching to get behind their team and Donegal need to make that advantage count.
The memory of two years ago should make Donegal wary. However, they are a more formidable side now and with MacCumhaill Park humming, a quarter-final spot is within grasp.