McShea's Say: Donegal SFC semi-finals have a refreshing look

Four Masters against Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair against St. Michael's are games that few, if any, supporters would have predicted before a ball was kicked in this year’s quest for the Dr. Maguire Cup. 

And Naomh Conaill must consider themselves to be more than a little fortunate as it looked as if their interest in this campaign was over when they trailed an excellent Termon side by four points in injury time in Sunday’s quarter-final. 

To their credit, the remarkable battling qualities, which are a feature of this Glenties side in recent years, again surfaced when Termon seemed to be home and hosed, but this was a great performance from a young emerging Termon outfit, and they will have a major say in the destination of silverware in the next few years if they can keep this squad together. 

In a team that played some excellent football, Termon had exceptional displays from full back Cormac Gallagher, full forward Jack Alcorn, who scored 1-2, and wing back Patrick Fegan, who also hit 1-2. Yet again, Anthony Thompson led from the front for Glenties. He is a real leader for his side, while young Max Campbell scored the vital goal, which may be the decisive score in this year’s championship.

The other youthful emerging side in the quest for championship glory, Four Masters, again gave evidence of their exceptional potential when they had ten points to spare in their comprehensive dismissal of a very disappointing Dungloe team. 

The first half of this game was poor and was a throwback to the old rules, as both forwards were reluctant to shoot when close to goal, and excessive hand passing was a negative feature of this contest. 

Whatever Four Masters manager Barry Dunnion had to say at the interval, his team were seriously energised in the second half.

They consistently won the breaking ball in the middle of the park and went on a ten point scoring spree which Dungloe had no answer to. 

This comprehensive win sees the Donegal Town side qualify for their first semi-final in 13 years, and they play football with a maturity which is both effective and easy on the eye.

Kevin Muldoon had another fine match, Seanán and Turlough Carr maintained their excellent form, while both Patrick Reid and Aaron McCrea were especially effective. The Four Masters team are a side with a natural footballing instinct, and their semi-final with seasoned campaigners Naomh should be a game to savour.

St. Michael's were also most impressive in beating Sean MacCumhaills by eleven points, in a game where county midfielder Michael Langan hit ten points for the winners. 

Langan was simply excellent, and apart from his scoring prowess, he also won an abundance of quality ball all over the park. MacCumhaills were again without their county star Oisin Gallen, and no doubt his loss was a major blow to the Ballybofey team’s prospects.

Apart from Langan, Colin McFadden and Michael Cannon made a big contribution for the winners.

MacCumhaills were disappointing, and apart from Joe Boyle, few of the team played to their potential.

Gaoth Dobhair will believe that they are back where they belong in another semi-final.

Rónán Mac Niallais’ team were expected to have a battle to beat Kilcar, but they were in no way flattered in winning this quarter-final with three points to spare. 

Kilcar went six points up early in the game, but the margin was back to the minimum by half time and even at that stage, it was looking ominous for Kilcar as the winners had the advantage of a fresh wind at their backs for the second half. 

There was only one point between the teams after 64 minutes, but Micheál Roarty hit a superb two-pointer for the winners, and this moment of excellence was the defining score of a good championship encounter. 

Gaoth Dobhair will fancy their chances of beating St. Michael's in this weekend’s semi-final if they can manage to dilute Michael Langan’s input to a reasonable degree.

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I was most impressed with the quality of football played in the Intermediate semi-final between Naomh Columba and Red Hughs in Fr. Tierney Park on Sunday. 

Shane Callaghan at corner forward was excellent for the winners. Steven Callaghan, Padraig Byrne and Aaron Doherty were others who played a major role in seeing their team through to the final.

The Ryder Cup captures the imagination of sports fans like no other competition. It uniquely pits two teams from Europe and the USA against each other in an epic biennial event that crackles with excitement and nail-biting intensity. 

It is one of the most hotly contested events in the sporting calendar, which creates fever-pitch pressure for the players and unrivalled excitement for those who get to watch it. 

With Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry on the European team, do not miss what will be incredible viewing.