The Alternative View: Donegal gain promotion with green numbers on their backs

The long journey to Carlow was worthwhile for Donegal on Saturday as they were never really troubled by Kildare and promotion back to Division 1 was clinched for the seventh time in the county’s history.

The importance of Donegal being in Division 1 was stressed by manager Jim McGuinness, afterwards saying that was the place to develop his young team.

Travelling to the south-east on Friday as far as Kildare first and then on Saturday to Carlow I discovered that the backroads of Offaly around Edenderry and even the country roads around Athy in Kildare are even more in need of repair than the backroads in our own county.

The Carlow Hurling Club grounds, next door to Netwatch Cullen Park, were almost full when I turned in around 3 pm on Saturday because there was a club hurling match in progress. Still there were parking spaces still available and it was a very convenient option, just next door to the county pitch.

The short walk to the pitch found Brendan ‘Bradas’ O’Donnell already inside, wondering where would be the best vantage point for his camera. The O’Donnells were never late for these games.

The Supporters’ Bus was just leaving Dublin at that stage and the Sligo contingent were not overly happy that the driver had bypassed them at Clar Chapel on his way from Donegal Town to Ballybofey, which necessitated them taking off after them to take their seat at the Ballybofey stop. A bad start to their day.

Fair play to them for making such a journey to support the team by bus, up and down in the one day; martyrs for the cause.

As the teams took to the pitch, the rain which had momentarily stopped, returned and left the press box windows needing wipers. It was then that we noticed that Donegal were wearing green numbers on their gold jerseys, making them much easier to pick out. Prior to this the numbers were white and in wet conditions and under lights they became almost impossible to read. Whoever made the decision to change, take a bow. And they look better also.

It was clear from early in the game that Kildare were putting one last effort into staying alive. After losing their first five games, the supporters had deserted them, but they were still in touch at half-time, just two points adrift.

When we checked our phones at half-time Cavan were getting an almighty hammering in the Box-It Athletic Grounds from Armagh, the home side 14 points to the good. Even at that stage Donegal could have lost the game and still be promoted. The chasing pack behind Donegal and Armagh were by then non-existent.

The Donegal lead would drift to five on two occasions early in the second half only for Kildare to cut it to three and then to two with the only goal of the game.

It was then that the Kildare wagon ran out of gas. They looked like a team who knew their fate and they hardly raised a gallop in the final quarter.

Just two minutes into the new half the biggest cheer of the evening went up when Aaron Doherty won a free for Donegal. It was an ironic cheer as it was Donegal’s first free of the contest, some 37 minutes in. Referee Paul Faloon did give one advantage to Donegal in the opening half but you cannot call that a free as play continued. It was a very unusual statistic from the contest. My notes had Donegal winning four frees in all with Kildare winning 10. The wides tally is also noteworthy, Donegal with eight and Kildare with five.

As the game trundled to its inevitable conclusion, thoughts went back to the penultimate game of the league in 2023 when Paddy Carr’s Donegal lost to Mayo and they were all but doomed. It led to Carr stepping down and morale never really lifted until the announcement of Jim McGuinness’s return. Kildare are now in a similar position and they looked like a team down on their luck. Lifting them for a tilt at the Leinster championship will not be easy. And yet with their underage talent from recent years and their resources, they should not be in that position.

Donegal could have been more clinical, especially on the transition, but they had Peadar Mogan firing on all cylinders, hitting five points; possibly a record for a Donegal defender in an individual game according to Edward Molloy. Can anyone think of a Donegal defender scoring anything near that before?

Michael Langan, Ciaran Thompson and Dáire Ó Baoill kept the scoreboard ticking and there was no need for top scorers Patrick McBrearty and Oisin Gallen to get heavily involved this time around.

The ability of Langan, Thompson and Ó Baoill to strike from distance can be a big plus for Donegal going forward. We know that all three have it in their locker. Langan was a bit shot shy in the opening games but really stepped forward on Saturday, having four shots, three on target. He is coming to the boil at the right time.

Judgements on where Donegal are on the road to Celtic Park on April 20 are still very difficult to make. But one thing is for sure, progression is being made, albeit on a gradual basis. Scoring averages are still being kept pretty high but it would also be nice to see a few more goal chances being created.
https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1454286/happy-with-promotion-but-performances-could-be-better-shaun-patton.html

Getting the chance to play Armagh in Croke Park will be another valuable opportunity for the team and management and it will give the growing band of supporters the best chance so far to judge their progress.

For the likes of Ciaran Moore, Shane O’Donnell, Aaron Doherty, Odhrán Doherty and Mark Curran, it will be a big step in their development. Brendan McCole was still to be seen in a boot on Saturday evening and his chances of playing in the league final might be diminishing, but hopefully he will have made a full recovery for the tilt with Derry. It is only when players of his calibre are not available that you see their full value.

One interesting note on the Carlow venue was the secret tunnel which takes the players from the dressing rooms to the pitch, up a set of winding steps. I could only imagine if we had something like that in Ulster there would be a potential schemozzle at half-time.

Donegal supporters went home happy despite the rain. There was a pep in their step. The Sligo contingent were back at base around 1.30 a.m. on St Patrick’s morning. That was a day that lasted close on 16 hours, all in the cause of supporting their county team for 70+ minutes.

Footnote: The Alternative View was asked by a well-known match day steward at MacCumhaill Park to highlight the need for seat markings in the stand to be much more visible to make stewarding a little easier on match days.

MATCH FACTS
Donegal 0-17, Kildare 1-8
Donegal: Shaun Patton; Mark Curran, Ciaran Moore, Peadar Mogan (0-5); Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle (0-1), Odhrán Doherty (0-1); Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan (0-3); Shane O’Donnell, Ciaran Thompson (0-2), Aaron Doherty (0-1); Patrick McBrearty (0-1), Oisin Gallen (0-1,mark), Dáire Ó Baoill (0-2).
Subs: Jamie Brennan for H McFadden (ht); Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí for Odhran Doherty (53); Niall O’Donnell for Aaron Doherty (56); Luke McGlynn and Ronan Gallagher for Ó Baoill and Thompson (both 67)

Kildare: Mark Donnellan; Ryan Houlihan, Mick O’Grady, Ryan Burke; Paddy McDermott, Eoin Doyle, Jack Sargent; Aaron Masterson, Kevin O’Callaghan; Alex Beirne (1-3), Barry Kelly, Shane Farrell (0-1); Kevin Feely (0-4,3f,1mark), Daniel Flynn, Niall Kelly.
Subs: Luke Killian for O’Callaghan (52); Paddy Woodgate for P Kelly (55); Shane O’Sullivan for N Kelly (58); Brian Byrne for Houlihan (60); Tony Archbold for Sargent (69)

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)