By Michael McMullan

FINNBARR Roarty paid tribute to the Donegal fans after Sunday’s comprehensive victory over Meath booked a spot against Kerry in the All-Ireland final later this month.

The Naomh Conaill defender, in his first season in the team, was excellent in front of a full house in Croke Park.

“It’s a great feeling,” he said of clinching their spot after Sunday’s 3-26 to 0-15 win. “We’ve got two weeks to the final now, so I’m going to try and take it all in and push on.”

It was a sea of green and gold in headquarters but Roarty played like a veteran. Up and down the pitch. His turnover led to Ciarán Moore’s goal to put the game to bed.

Sunday’s performance from Roarty puts him in the box seat to pick up the Young Player of the Year.

“It was serious,” he said of the atmosphere in the Croker cauldron. “We have probably one of the best sets of supporters in Ireland and that’s always a great thing.

“They’ve been like that all year. It hasn’t just been from the quarter-final on, it’s been that through the league and the group stages.

“They’ve just kept on pushing us on and, yeah, it’s so easy to play when you have a support like that.”

Roarty, who came into the panel initially last season, is now a regular and is full of praise for the squad who have helped him bed into the setup.

“There is a lot of pressure going into the final,” he pointed out, “but it’s important to have a great bunch of lads around you. Everyone is telling you to keep cool, there is no panic, everybody’s pushing you on and encouraging you.”

Of the 20 players used in Sunday’s complete performance, Roarty was one of eight who didn’t register on the scoreboard. The fact 12 players scored isn’t a once-off. It has become a hallmark of Donegal this season.

“Everybody’s trying to get on the scoreboard, everybody’s trying to get back and work for their team,” Roarty said of the collective,” Roarty said of their balance.

“If someone’s wrecked, someone else is going to put in the work, so it’s really encouraging seeing boys work for each other and not for themselves. When you see someone else pushing on it’s really encouraging to try and help them out then.”

It was summed up by Dáire Ó Baoill passing up a chance to score when coming off the bench. Instead, be played to Patrick McBrearty, in a better position, to land a second. Ó Baoill later got a score. It was the same with Oisín Gallen’s killer pass for Conor O’Donnell’s goal. It was about the player in space.

“That’s what I meant,” said a nodding Roarty, outside the Donegal dressing room. “Everybody’s playing for each other, it’s not really me, me, me. There’s 12, maybe even 15 boys, who even can come on and be a threat to the opposition team.”

Another plus from Sunday was the return of Caolan McGonagle after injury to leave Jim McGuinness and his management team picking from a full deck ahead of the final.

“It’s great to see Caolan back again, getting the minutes in,” Roarty concluded, “He’s a great player and it’s great that he is back to full. It’s great to see him back and everybody fit and healthy.”