'We all have to buy into what Jim wants and take Donegal back to where we should be'

Jason McGee says the reappointment of Jim McGuinness as Donegal senior team manager is an exciting one and it’s up to the players now to get in behind him.

The Cloughaneely midfielder had become a mainstay in the Donegal team since making his breakthrough in the 2017 season, three years after McGuinness’s first tenure as boss had come to a conclusion.

Like many, McGee heard of the massive push put in under McGuinness by the senior players and said if the current crop can do something similar it will give Donegal every chance of being competitive. 

“I came in after Jim had gone and it was great news to hear that he was coming back in,” McGee said. “The county was crying out for a lift and what we all have to do is to buy into what Jim wants and take Donegal back to where we should be. We want to be challenging for Ulster titles and in the mix for All-Irelands. There’s a good panel of players there now and a good age profile so it’s up to us now to buy in. 

“It’s exciting and we can't wait to get stuck into it. Winning league and championship games is not easy and we know that, so we’ll get stuck into it as soon as a time comes."

McGee made his first Donegal SFC appearance of the season on Sunday as Cloughaneely defeated Milford in Falcarragh, having played a starring role in helping Donegal win the Boston Senior Championship earlier this month. In the 1-17 to 1-16 final win over Connemara Gaels at Canton, McGee put in a man of the match performance before a late sending off.

The Donegal team started with Hugh Yank Boyle from Naomh Muire; Killybegs' Jason Noctor captained the side, Cory Gallagher from Dungloe, brothers Conor and Shane O’Donnell of St Eunan’s and McGee, with Domhnall MacGiolla Bhríde of Gaoth Dobhair a second-half substitute.

“It was lovely to get away for the few weeks and to see something different,” McGee said of Boston. “I was taken aback by the standard there, it was high and the training was intense. There’s a lot of savage players and they take it very seriously and I can’t speak highly enough of them. They’re a great club and everything is so well organised, we were well looked after.”

After that success, Donegal Boston travelled to the All-Americans with only four of the 13 starters and saw their interest end with defeat to San Francisco. Whilst there, McGee’s mind swayed back home where Cloughaneely were opening their SFC campaign with a daunting trip Kilcar, who had ran out 12-point winners at Páirc Naomh Fionnan last season.

This year, with a wind at their backs, Cloughaneely were 0-8 to 0-2 ahead at a stage and at the break were still 0-10 to 0-7 in front. They had goal chances - four decent ones - and although Kilcar turned it around to come out 0-16 to 0-11 winners, Cloughaneely certainly had something they could carry into the competition. 

“I was in Denver and checked the score and saw at half-time we were three points up,” McGee said. “Kilcar came back to win it but for the lads it was a positive enough performance. Of course we’re not happy to lose games but we were happy enough to have put in a performance and to give a very good side in Kilcar a bit of a scare."

As in Towney, with McGee back on Sunday as Milford were in town, Cloughaneely made most of their hay in the first half, with a John Fitzgerald goal and Ciaran Coll, Conor Coyle, Darren Ferry and Shaun Curran all hit points, it was 1-7 to 0-2 at half-time.

Milford battled back to get within three with 10 to play, with Cloughaneely struggling to find their range before a Fitzgerald penalty and goal from Coyle put the rubber-stamp on a 3-7 to 0-7 win. It was Cloughaneely’s first win in the Donegal SFC since they overcame Ardara back in 2011.

“It’s certainly the first victory this group has had,” McGee said afterwards. “We managed a draw last year against Four Masters and that was as close as we came. It wasn’t pretty against Milford but we got over the line and that’s what counts. 

“We started well and got the scores up. The breeze certainly played a part in it too. We knew we were going to need a bit of a lead going into half-time as Milford were always going to have their patch then. We really had to slog it out then and we were glad to get those goals to see it out. 

“The message was to weather the storm as Milford had no option but to come out at us and that’s what they did. It was hard kicking in there to the other end and the first 10 or 15 minutes in that second half our backs were certainly against the wall. Milford gave it a brave rattle and their tails got up. We got there in the end, though.”

Cloughaneely now make the short trek to Mageragallon to face Gaoth Dobhair in the third round of fixtures on Sunday.