12 June 2016; Odhran MacNiallais of Donegal celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during their Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Quarter-Final match between Fermanagh and Donegal at MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey, Co. Donegal. Photo by Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile
Donegal star Odhrán MacNiallais believes his team can beat whoever they come across this season.
Rory Gallagher’s team will meet Tyrone in the Ulster Final on Sunday and the bookies have installed them as underdogs.
In the noughties, when Mickey Harte’s side were one of the best teams in the country, there was a sense that Donegal had an inferiority complex when it came to the Red Hand county. Even at underage and at club level, Tyrone were seen to be leading the way.
However, MacNiallais has a very good record against Tyrone. He was part of Maxi Curran’s under 21 team that defeated a fancied Tyrone side, who had won the All-Ireland Minor title three years previously, while he also helped Donegal get the better of the Red Hands in MacCumhaill Park last year.
The fear factor of Tyrone is still there, according to MacNiallais, as he says you have to respect the players they possess, but he feels his team are a match for anyone.
“I wouldn’t say it’s gone. The talent that they have you have to give them respect. They’ve great players and they’re always a tough team to play against. In the U21s in 2013 we beat them in the Ulster semi-final. Last year we beat them in the Championship with the seniors.
“They’re always physical. It’s more believing in ourselves and what we’re capable of. It’s not so much a fear factor. Like Rory said, we believe we can beat anyone.”
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