Mac’s View: Kerry and Jack O'Connor won’t be holding back in Croker 

We are heading back to Croke Park this weekend and another clash with Kerry in a repeat of last July’s All-Ireland final. The prize is up for grabs on this occasion, the National Football League Division 1 title.

I’m not sure how interested Jim McGuinness was in the league or getting to the final. But last Sunday’s win over Monaghan in Clones and Kerry’s draw with Armagh in the Athletic Grounds decided the final pairing.

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They are generally seen as the best two teams in the country and there are those that believe they are a bit ahead of the chasing pack. 

Jim, with the championship meeting just around the corner, may not be all that, as I mentioned earlier, interested in the league.

But I think now that we are in the final we should go all out to win. We have only won the league once before in 2007. 

Brian McIver was the manager at that time. And we were only in one other final, that was back in my day in 1993, the year before we won the All-Ireland. Dublin beat us 0-10 to 0-6 in a replay after we drew 0-9 each the first day.

If we have everybody, we have a good enough team with good forwards and one of the best midfield combinations in Jason McGee, Michael Langan and Hugh McFadden. 

And again, having all bodies on board, we have a solid defence. They are going to have to tighten up at the back from the way they played against Monaghan last Sunday.

One thing can be said for sure, Kerry won’t be holding back. It will not be forgotten by Jack O’Connor  that every year he has managed a team to an All-Ireland title, Kerry have also won the league. 

He has won five league titles and five All-Irelands over his two terms in the Kerry hot seat, which is a great personal record. 

Kerry will go into the game as the favourites. We’ve beaten them already this season with that four-point win in the league in Ballyshannon a few weeks ago.

The All-Ireland champions were without David and Paudie Clifford and, in fact, Paudie has not played at all so far this year, though somehow I feel we might see him feature this weekend.

It is our second trip to Croke Park so far this year. We began the league campaign with a good win over Dublin at Headquarters.

The football in the league has been very enjoyable and Donegal have played well in most of their games except for Sunday week in Roscommon and, at times, last Sunday against Monaghan, when they were below par.

Nevertheless, they came good in the latter stages when the game was in the melting pot and, while they conceded 3-16, they scored 3-20, which is a fairly good return at this time of the year.

I don’t expect Sunday’s game to be as high-scoring but, nevertheless, I’m looking forward to the game. 

There is always something special about playing in Croke Park. I’m expecting a good open game of football and regardless of how it goes, it won’t be the last time Donegal and Kerry meet this year.

It would be nice to be coming down the road on Sunday night as league champions. I was surprised to learn from a Croke Park official earlier in the week they were only expecting a crowd of 20,000 for the two finals. Cork and Meath are also playing in the Division Two final.

It is a big weekend too for the Donegal hurlers. They are also chasing league silverware after their big win over Roscommon last weekend in Hyde Park. 

A big congratulations to Mickey McCann and the hurlers on that win, which secured promotion back up to Division 2 of the League. 

It is a great achievement and a testament to the work being done by Mickey and his management team, and the commitment of the players. I wish them well in the Division 3 final against Wicklow on Saturday in Aughrim.

Donegal lost away to Tipperary in the Lidl Ladies Division 2. But they have a chance to get back on track this Sunday when they play Wexford in O’Donnell Park. 

A win will secure their second-place finish in the league and a Division final meeting with Cavan.

Donegal were due to play Monaghan last night in their second game in the Ulster U-20 Championship in Castleblaney and they face Antrim on Saturday in Ballyshannon in a third-round tie.

Karl Lacey’s minors had a welcome win over Armagh last Saturday in Convoy following a draw with Antrim and narrow defeat by Monaghan. 

Karl will hope they can pick up a second win when they face Derry in Owenbeg on Saturday. I wish all Donegal teams well this weekend.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Tom Comack.