The Alternative View: The Breffni roar had a definite Donegal ring to it

Please show your appreciation for the Cavan team. It was the PA announcer in Kingspan Breffni Park as he welcomed the home team on to the pitch. There was a gentle ripple of applause.

Seconds later the announcer, ‘please show your appreciation for the Donegal team’ to a thunderous response for those Donegal supporters who made the trip. The difference between the two receptions was palpable. It must have felt good to be running out on the pitch and getting such a warm welcome away from home. Cavan had won their opening game away from home against Kildare and they are normally fairly good supporters, especially when they are going well.

By that stage we had had a visit in the press box by the Cavan PRO who  asked us to make sure we used the full name, Kingspan Breffni Park, when referring to the venue. From a press point of view it must be one of the best provincial venues with tea and coffee, sandwiches, chicken goujons, cocktail sausages . . . the lot. Forget about those stories about Cavan people.

After a wet and very windy morning in Donegal, we arrived in Cavan to find that the rain had gone and the wind was abating but was never going to disappear. 

The optimism in Donegal was gaining some momentum after the big win over Cork the previous weekend. I bumped into Ballyshannon publican Michael Melly on two occasions in the days leading up to Sunday and on both occasions he confidently predicted that Donegal would win by four. That was possibly based on the spread in his local  bookies.

As it turned out he was not far off the mark. If you disregard the final Cavan point which came courtesy of one of the worst refereeing decisions in memory, the final result should have had a two point margin between the teams.

The result, at the end of the day, was what mattered most. Donegal were heading back home with the two league points to leave themselves sitting comfortably and able to have a wee break before beginning the preparation for the next hurdle, Fermanagh at home on Saturday week in O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny.

While the victory on Sunday was deserved, it was not without its flaws. The number of turnovers was alarming but there were mitigating factors.

Before the throw-in Donegal had to make three changes to the team selected for the match programme. Out went Mark Curran, Peadar Mogan and Ciaran Moore. Curran was able to come in as a substitute and word on the grapevine is that Mogan and Moore will be available for the next game against Fermanagh.

There was greater concern when Eoghan Bán Gallagher went down around the half-way line just before the break and looked in trouble right away. It looked innocuous as the Killybegs man was given a little push, but it became clear that he would not be continuing. Bán has come through the mill with injuries now for a number of years and fingers will be crossed that this latest setback will be short.
https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1415578/our-style-of-play-will-always-depend-on-the-opposition-we-play-jim-mcguinness.html

The Donegal players had to think on their feet and adjust to the changes. They are playing a much more attacking and high energy game and this along with the adjustments meant that mistakes crept in.

It had gone quite well in the opening half with Oisin Gallen and Ciaran Thompson supreme as they led 0-8 to 0-4 at the break. Cavan were wasteful and the four point margin was a pretty good reflection of the play

Cavan were always going to have a go and with the wind in their sails they had the margin down to the minimum inside eight minutes of the restart.

The response from Donegal was going to define the game and this is where the senior players came into their own. Ryan McHugh, Patrick  McBrearty, Caolan McGonagle and Oisin Gallen were magnificent in this period resulting in Donegal hitting 0-3 in the next 10 minutes to have the margin back out to four.

Cavan did get the margin back to the minimum once more with about three minutes of normal time left, but then Oisin Gallen hit a magnificent free from the ground into the breeze with four of the five added minutes played.

It should have been the end of the scoring before the referee, Sean Lonergan, got himself in trouble by penalising Oisin Gallen for over carrying when it was clear to everyone in the ground that he had been fouled.

But all’s well that ends well and the Tipperary referee blew for time when Michael Langan and James Smith fielded the kick-out. Cavan players and supporters were now annoyed at him for not giving them another few seconds to get an equaliser. It would be interesting to see what the match official assessor (who was only a few feet away from me) writes in his report.

Donegal have used 25 players in two games. To do that and also get positive results is a very good outcome. There are quite a number of important players still to get back in the frame, the likes of Niall O’Donnell,  Hugh McFadden, Jason McGee, Conor O’Donnell, Caolan McColgan, Caolan Ward. Some of the younger brigade will be working with SP Barrett and the U-20 squad, who got their year off to a winning start with victory over Leitrim in Ballyshannon, also on Sunday.

With good news of the U-15, U-16 and U-17 squads up and running, the positivity going through the county is very encouraging.

We are probably lucky in some respect that our senior team is operating in Division 2 of the league. It will give the management some leeway in ironing out problems. Would the present side be able to operate in Division 1 at the moment? That is a pertinent question, but it is where they will want to operate next season.

With three home games (Fermanagh, Louth and Meath) still to  come, wins in those games will almost guarantee a place in the Division 2 final and automatic promotion. The two away games are against Armagh and Kildare, with the latter game the longest journey for supporters as the Lilywhites are playing their home games in Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow as ‘Newbridge or Nowhere’ is being upgraded.

The opening round win over Cork was probably too easy. Sunday’s game against Cavan was a real test as was expected. Fermanagh looked very good in their win over Kildare on Saturday evening and will ask questions off Donegal in O’Donnell Park. We are on a roll at the Letterkenny venue, a win and a draw in our last outings there. We should be good enough to get the hat-trick.

Hearing that roar as Donegal took to the field on Sunday was the first time I had heard that in a long time. This team looks like they are up for the fight so let’s keep that support going.