Donegal 'finishers' can make all the difference - Kevin Cassidy

Kevin Cassidy says that Donegal's quality in off the bench, in the last quarter, could prove to be the winning of the game for Jim McGuinness' side.

Cassidy picked up an All-Star award in 2002 when Donegal met Meath in the fourth round as Donegal went through with a 1-13 to 0-14 win in Croke Park.

That was a big scalp at the time for Donegal against a side who had won the All-Ireland three years previously and the Leinster title the year before.

This time Meath will go into the game as underdogs, but having beaten Dublin, Kerry and Galway already this season, Cassidy
feels they are getting back to the side that were so competitive in the late nineties and early noughties.

“I think the reason why Meath are back in the semi-final is because they have kind of gone back to what they’re known for, they’re known for being progressive and fearless and they’re very powerful around the middle of the field.

“Back when Meath were winning All-Irelands and doing well, that’s what they had so well.

“Sean Rafferty would remind me of Darren Fay back in his day and there are similarities.

“From our point of view, we were coming up against a team we wouldn’t have played much like the lads get today.

“All of our big games were against the Tyrones and Armaghs so it’s refreshing for both teams to play each other when they haven’t really crossed paths recently.”

Sunday’s match will be Donegal’s tenth Championship game of the season, and a ninth win would be a new record for
championship wins in a calendar year.

It took a lot out of the time after a gruelling Ulster campaign, and a defeat to Tyrone left them on the back foot and having to go through the preliminary round.

There have been shaky moments with the congested fixture list, but Cassidy feels the players will have relished the run of games.

“It is a lot, but if I put my player hat on, I’d rather it.

“I know with the way the country is and how expensive everything is, it falls on the supporters more than it does for the players because it is so costly to go to games, and to ask families to travel ten times is a lot.

“But from a player point of view, would I rather ten games and be where we are now or would I rather play five and be dumped out of the championship watching on? All players want to play and I’d rather play Sunday-Sunday-Sunday rather than train for three weeks and then play.

“But it’s a great complaint for us to have.

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“We can’t take away from the taxing Ulster campaign that we had, and Jim really goes after the Ulster championship but it’s a
double-edged sword.

“To get the lads up to such a level that they reached in Ulster and keep them at that level is difficult and that’s where you see the drop off with the likes of the Tyrone game and Monaghan and Louth first halves.

“The message Jim will be drilling home to the lads now is that it has been a long year, but there is effectively four weeks left and if we can see it to the end, then the biggest prize is there.”

Donegal’s campaign has been eased by the strong panel Jim McGuinness assembled, and one of those includes Cassidy’s fellow
Gaoth Dobhair clubman Dáire Ó Baoill.

Ó Baoill started early in the campaign but has been coming off the bench in recent weeks, and his impact has added something
extra to the late Donegal surge.

In all competitions this season, only Michael Murphy and Ciaran Thompson have outscored Ó Baoill, but he hasn’t hit the same
heights in the championship.

However, his ability to kick two pointers has been well documented this season, and when space opens up in the final minutes of matches, he is a real threat to any side.

“Dáire was having a brilliant season, and he was very good in the league and the early part of the championship.

“But when you come off the bench and make a big impact, then sometimes the manager can hold you and a player doesn’t want to be held; everybody wants to play.

“So I feel for Dáire in that sense, but I know the type of person he is that he’ll be ready to come on, and then you have the likes of Patrick (McBrearty) and Jamie Brennan coming off the bench.

“Donegal have a really strong bench, and going through the Meath team, they’re probably missing four big players, which weakens their team and we can definitely stay competitive in the game, then go into the bench, then it’ll definitely work in our favour.

“Jim and the selectors will have sat down and analysed the data and how there is more space towards the end of games and that all comes into your thinking.

“Back in the day it was just about picking the best 15 who are showing well in training but that isn’t necessarily the way now and you’re thinking of what could happen.

“So as fatigue sets in, in Croke Park especially, then there will be gaps, and if Dáire appears towards the end, then I’d put my
money on him to pull the trigger.”

Cassidy was speaking on behalf of AIB who are celebrating their tenth year as a sponsor of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship.