The Alternative View: Oh ye of little faith! O'Donnell Abú rings out in Croker

When the final whistle went in Croke Park, Donegal were still standing. The same couldn't be said of some people who were involved in the Aodh Ruadh Last Man Standing, many going for Armagh to win the Division 2 title.

Getting to play in Croke Park in a national final is still a pretty rare occurrence for Donegal and it was a nice feeling on Sunday, albeit there was a paltry enough support for Jim McGuinness and his charges. It being Easter Sunday and a bank holiday weekend was a factor but given that Donegal had finished top of Division 2 and were unbeaten you would have expected a bigger following. With an hour less in bed and a 7.20 am bus to catch, it was an early enough start. Among those on the bus were some of the young Four Masters and Donegal minors.

Those who made the journey were fully rewarded with two very good games. Donegal's young guns with up to seven of them making their first appearance on the hallowed sod put in a performance fitting of any final.

They matched Armagh point for point in the first half against the strong wind and deservedly led at half-time by a point.

They  looked to be on their way when going four points clear in the second half but then hit a bump in the road which saw them go 20 minutes without a score. 

Changes were made,  some of them probably pre-arranged to protect players like Jason McGee, Niall O'Donnell and Caolan McColgan, for the championship challenge ahead against Derry on April 20 in Celtic Park.

Those changes probably unbalanced Donegal at a period when Armagh brought in their big guns, the O'Neills, Rian and Oisin and Stefan Campbell. The Orchard men got a run on Donegal and were threatening to spoil the party,  especially when they edged a point clear with just over a minute of normal time left.

But this Donegal team really showed their teeth in the final five minutes of the game, the last minute of normal time and the four minutes of added time. To win a tight game like that when the fat is in the fire showed the tremendous heart and desire of the young guns in particular.

The three points from Caolan McGonagle to level matters; Oisin Gallen to push Donegal back in front and then Aaron Doherty to close out the game after Armagh had levelled the contest for the ninth time, will do wonders for team morale. It will be a great experience to draw on when this young team is involved in tight games coming down the line this summer.

The final three points were statements by the players involved. There was almost a fourth when Armagh were turned over with just 30 seconds left of the allotted four minutes of added time.  Shane O'Donnell broke clear and Aaron Doherty went past him like a steam train as they bore down on the Armagh goal. Exhaustion was probably a factor in both Shane's pass and Aaron's effort for a point, but it was exhilarating to see the two young guns in full flow.

The points from McGonagle to level matters and Oisin Gallen's magnificent effort to edge Donegal back in front were out of the top drawer.

There was so much to be positive about.  Starting with the young players, Ciaran Moore, Mark Curran, Caolan McColgan, Shane O'Donnell and Aaron Doherty performed like veterans; Niall O'Donnell looks very close to being back to his best; Oisin Gallen and Caolan McGonagle are so central to the present team.

And what of Ciaran Thompson. If you were to dream of a way to mark your 100th game for Donegal, you couldn't have fared much better. Man of the match and captain of the team for the day in Croker, the Naomh Conaill man's first half performance reflected the positivity in Donegal's play, taking on responsibility for shooting and his success average was pretty high, hitting four points. It was nice to see our other good luck charm this year, chairperson Mary Coughlan, making a presentation to Ciaran in Croke Park to mark his 100th game.

Moore, Shane O'Donnell, Thompson and Gallen made the GAA.ie Team of the Week and you couldn't disagree with the selection. I'm sure the GPS returns for Shane O'Donnell and Aaron Doherty must have been high. Peadar Mogan stayed put for most of the second half keeping the back door shut and the defensive work from the team as a collective has to be recognised. They were just tigerish. And even if Armagh did get through, Shaun Patton was equal to anything thrown at him.

For Jim McGuinness and the backroom team, the only period that didn't quite go to plan was from the 50th to the 70th minutes when Donegal found it difficult to get anything from  kick-outs or attacks. It coincided with the time when most of the Donegal substitutions were made and also in a period when Ciaran Moore picked up a leg injury and was on the sideline for a few minutes.

This new rule where a player receiving treatment must then go to the sideline until there is a break in play needs to be looked at. If the opposing team holds the ball for a couple of minutes, then the team that is down a player is penalised harshly. Surely the rule could be revamped to allow the referee to wave the player back on when he is ready for action.

In Ciaran Moore's case on Sunday, he picked up the injury when he won a ball and an Armagh player fell on top of him. In some ways Donegal were being penalised on the double. The new rule was probably brought in to stop players feigning injury to slow down play, but that was far from the case with Moore's injury on Sunday.

Donegal and Jim  McGuinness had plenty to combat on Sunday, having to select a team with captain Patrick McBrearty and Ryan McHugh missing. McHugh was named on the programme team but it is doubtful if he was ever going to be involved. The one curved ball thrown was the involvement of Charles McGuinness, as he hadn't featured even on the bench for any of the other league games. While it was the subject of some debate, the supporters are never aware of what is happening inside the group.

The return of Jason McGee was also a slight surprise and the Cloughaneely men showed up really well before being 'rested' early in the second half. A fully fit and healthy McGee will be needed when Donegal go to battle against Conor Glass and Brendan Rogers in Celtic Park. 
https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1465870/win-in-ballyshannon-was-a-bonus-win-for-us-maxi-curran.html

And talking of Celtic Park and that date with Derry in the Ulster championship, it was an experience to watch the Oak Leaf side go toe to toe with Dublin in the second match and eventually come out on top.

They had to win the game three times, letting it slip in normal time and again in extra-time, eventually winning comfortably on penalties, but there was no doubting that they were the better side. It was a really exciting contest.

How good are Derry? Again it is a difficult question.  They overcame a Dublin side that were fielding quite a few who will not be involved come championship time. I watched a re-run of both games on Monday evening and Derry managed just two points in the final 19 minutes in normal time, as Dublin came back to level.

The intensity of the Division 1 final was probably a notch above the Donegal-Armagh game, but it was also a little more open. Derry created a lot of goal chances and Donegal will have to be pretty secure at the back for the clash on April 20.

Hopefully, Donegal will have a few of the walking wounded back. If Brendan McCole is fit, he will play full-back, but you would have no worries putting Ciaran Moore in there. Moore will be a definite starter anyway. The O'Donnells, too, will make any Donegal starting team, such is their abilities, Shane on the ball all over the field and Niall with his finishing ability.

Aaron Doherty will be hard to leave on the bench after Sunday with what he brings to the party. Caolan McColgan looks to be coming to the boil at the right time also. It will be no mean task to pick that team. I guess it will all depend on the injuries picked up by the Kilcar pair McBrearty and McHugh and whether they will be in the frame.

If they are then you would be looking at a starting 15 of: Patton; Curran, McCole, McColgan; McHugh, McGonagle, Mogan; McGee, Langan; Shane O'Donnell, Thompson, Moore; McBrearty, Gallen, Niall O'Donnell. If McCole, McHugh and McBrearty are not available then Moore goes back to full-back; Dáire Ó Baoill goes in at No 5  and Aaron Doherty comes into the forward line. I'm beginning to feel like The Follower in the past, picking teams with 19 or 20 on them!

Isn't it a great feeling to have such competition for places. And we don't know about the availability of Eoghan Bán Gallagher and Conor O'Donnell of Carndonagh, both of whom would be in any argument when selecting a championship team. One would hope that as Donegal advance, either in the Ulster championship, or in the All-Ireland series that the panel will be even stronger.

Division 2 final stats

Donegal 0-15

Armagh 0-14

Scorers for Donegal: Ciaran Thompson 0-4, 1f; Oisin Gallen 0-4, 1m, 1f; Niall O’Donnell 0-3; Caolan McGonagle, Shane O’Donnell, Peadar Mogan, Aaron Doherty 0-1 each.

Scorers for Armagh: Rory Grugan 0-4, 2f, Conor Turbitt 0-4, 2f; Jarly Óg Burns, Oisín Conaty 0-2 each; Stefan Campbell, Oisín O’Neill 0-1 each.

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Mark Curran, Ciaran Moore, Caolan McColgan; Kevin McGettigan, Caolan McGonagle, Shane O’Donnell; Jason McGee, Michael Langan; Peadar Mogan, Ciaran Thompson, Luke McGlynn; Aaron Doherty, Oisin Gallen, Niall O’Donnell. Subs: Odhran Doherty and Jamie Brennan for McGlynn and McGettigan (both HT); Hugh McFadden for McGee (41); Jeaic MacCeallabhuí for McColgan (60); Charles McGuinness for Niall O’Donnell (61).

Armagh: Blaine Hughes; Paddy Burns, Aaron McKay, Peter McGrane; Greg McCabe, Aidan Forker, Darragh McMullan; Ciarán Mackin, Ben Crealey; Jarly Óg Burns, Rory Grugan, Joe McElroy; Conor Turbitt, Andrew Murnin, Oisín Conaty. Subs: Stefan Campbell for Forker (41); Rian O’Neill for McElroy (48); Oisín O’Neill for McMullan (59); Jason Duffy for Mackin (68).

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)