FORMER Donegal star Brendan Devenney feels today’s game will be Donegal’s toughest test of their route to the final.
Jim McGuinness takes his side to face a Monaghan side that will be full of confidence after winning the Division 2 title, something that spurred Donegal on coming into the Ulster Championship twelve months ago.
The Farney men were relegated last season and after Vinny Corey stepping away, it looked like there would be a real rebuild on the cards.
But they proved that wrong and Devenney has been impressed with how they have held themselves so far in 2025.
“They only went down one year and came straight back up as champions so they are a Division 1 team. They’re a very dangerous opponent and you look at Rory Beggan hitting seven points in the final and the danger he brings compared to what Derry had, that was something we did very well on was Derry’s poor kick-outs and that won’t happen the next day.
“You have Ryan Wylie, Ryan O’Toole and then Dylan Byrne who was Man of the Match in the Division 2 final, they’re good at one-on-one tackling and they’re a strong running machine.
“Conor McCarthy hit 2-21 from wing back in the league, Stephen O’Hanlon and (Micheal) Bannigan are all dangerous and they’ll be holding back Jack McCarron so they have a bit of everything.
“They are on the way up and Derry are on the way down if you like and one thing that they will bring that Derry didn’t is a load of energy to the game.
“They’re at home and everyone knows Clones well but it’s still their home patch and you can imagine there will be a good home support, Gabriel Bannigan is doing a great job because after Vinny Corey stepping down and Conor McManus retiring and going to Division 2, it might have been a couple of tough years but their response has been top class and Andy Moran is in there and added real energy to it.
“Donegal Monaghan games are always tough when you look at the record, the three Ulster finals in-a-row and they won two of them so they’re always formidable.”
Devenney felt that the difference in confidence between the Donegal and Derry sides going into the Preliminary Round showed at the beginning of the month in MacCumhaill Park as the home side had plenty of momentum.
Derry did hit back to a two point deficit in the second half that day but the momentum swung again and along with a strong bench, Donegal cruised into a big lead.
And the strength of the Donegal bench is something the St Eunan’s man thinks could be the difference this Sunday.
“It was an awesome bench and I think all the big teams are doing that now, the game only opens up in the last twenty minutes and if you have options to come in fresh it’s massive and Donegal are building a real strong squad
“You have the likes of Gallen, Langan, McGee and these players that could come off the bench but even then if Gallen started for Conor O’Donnell, then you have him to bring in so it bodes well for Donegal.
“I think we’re going to need them and I can’t imagine there will be much in it but you’re just hoping that experience and ability might be a bit too much to win.
“They’re going to be more dangerous than Derry who had good patches against us and there will be patches of the game where this Monaghan team ask a lot of questions but that’s the joy of football and Ulster Championship.
“This is the big one, this is a bigger test than the semi-final will be, at the start of the year you might have thought Derry would be the toughest game on the road to the final but after Monaghan’s performances, especially the second half against Roscommon, should give Donegal a lot of warnings.
“They tackled ferociously, they sat in and broke at pace which is something Donegal will want to do so both teams will play a similar tactic and it depends who equips themselves on the day.”
Related posts:
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)