By Frank Craig

Eamonn Doherty has warned Donegal supporters not to be taking anything for granted heading into the final round of regulated NFL games this weekend.

Doherty and his Tir Chonaill teammates take on Kildare in Ballyshannon on Sunday knowing a win will put them in with a real shout of springing back to Division 1. Fermanagh’s six-point loss to Armagh last weekend has really reopened the door for Declan Bonner’s side.

That, and their own impressive seven-point win in Cork, means Donegal now have a better scoring difference than Rory Gallagher’s Erne men. That will only come into play if the three leading sides, Meath, Fermanagh and Donegal all finish level on points.

If the Royals manage to down Fermanagh, a win or even a draw against Kildare would swing it for Donegal.

But before the calculators have to come out Doherty – a Maths teacher in St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny – has cautioned the Donegal faithful that they need to turn out in their droves at Fr. Tierney Park to help push them over the line.

He told the Donegal News: “We’ll need that. But to be fair the support was unbelievable in Cork. They’ve been great all year. I’d say we matched Cork down there last Sunday. With the ladies down too we might even have had more.

“I know people that got the bus that morning and came back up again the very same evening. It’s a horrible trip to do in one day. But we were so grateful.

“I’m sure it’ll be the exact same in Ballyshannon. Something like that can make all the difference.”

At one stage in the second-half at Pairc Uí Rínn Cork went six points clear. But something seemed to click with Donegal. And they produced their best spell of football this season during the remainder to run out comfortable winners in the end on a scoreline of 1-19 to 1-12

They hit 1-13 of that haul in a blinding second period. Doherty hopes things have clicked for the side at just the right time.

“We got to six apiece and we conceded 1-2 without reply,” he explained. “That isn’t ideal. That’s where we’ve the big issue. We’ve talked about that as players. We need to stamp that kind of thing out.

“To be honest, in the changing room at half-time we weren’t panicking. Even when they got the point right after the restart. We knew there was a breeze there that would be supporting us in the second-half.

“The second half on the whole was very productive. There are some good positives to take. I felt there were some excellent individual performances. Dáire Ó Baoill came in there and really stood up.

“The first score he kicked wasn’t an easy score. He has that ability to put players on the back foot. He’s comfortable on the ball and he has a lot of energy.

“Paddy McGrath came in there too at half-time and did well. He had a real calming effect. It’s great to see him get his 100th appearance. Lads are really under pressure now with the numbers and options going up.

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“Everyone is training very well. Lads have filtered back in over the last number of weeks. It’s the right time in the season to be seeing a lift.”

Kildare themselves have it all still to play for in Ballyshannon. Their edging out of Tipperary means they are now only one point behind Donegal heading into the final weekend.

A win on the road could yet see them slingshot into the promotional reckoning provided Fermanagh don’t get something out of their encounter with Meath.

“We don’t have any control over what’s going on elsewhere,” said Doherty. “It’s kind of a shootout between Kildare and ourselves. None of the two sides will be worrying about anything else. Win your own game and then maybe you can look around.

“It’s all on the line for both in that sense. Our main aim in the league this year was to get promotion. Players want to be playing Division 1. Division 2 has turned out to be quite productive for us this year to be fair.

“The games have been tough. They’re different types of games in Division 2. It’s a very competitive section. And we’ve given a lot of players a taste of action.

“But at the end of it all we want to be going back up. We’ve given ourselves a good chance. We’ve a good record in Ballyshannon but they nearly beat us there last year. They won’t have any issue coming up there. They were unlucky enough to lose out in games here and there last season by a point or two. That cost them and they went down too.

“But they were in the Super 8s by the end of the year. So they are one of the top sides in the country on that form. We have to be ready for a really tough afternoon.

“We’re in a good place. But both sides will feel that it’s a game that either can win.”