Mac's View: Donegal show great composure to come back to win final in Croke park

Congratulations are in order all round after a great result for Jim  McGuinness and the Donegal squad in Croke Park on Sunday lifting the Allianz League Division 2 cup.

It was a game we had to win twice. The team put in a great first half with Ciaran Thompson setting the standard with a powerful display and also hitting four points. It was a good day for the Glenties man as he was captain in the absence of Patrick McBrearty and also won his 100th cap. It was fitting that he also won the man of the match award. He is such a leader in the group now.

In the second half we came out very well with the wind and went four points up and seemed to be coasting. Armagh then threw in a few good players like the O’Neills and Stefan Campbell and we went through a sticky patch. I can’t understand why they don’t start Rian O’Neill as he caused us some difficulty when he came in. They went a point up and we needed a great response from Donegal to turn it around again in the closing minutes.

I thought we showed great composure to come back and win. Overall I felt the game was not as competitive as I would have expected, except in the last period of the match. But still a win is a win and it was nice to blood a lot of young lads in Croke Park. You couldn’t buy that type of preparation for the big games that are coming down the track, not least Celtic Park against Derry on April 20.

You have to remember we were short of at least five top class players, but we now know that we have a wee bit of strength in depth which is encouraging.

You could mention every  player but I felt Shane O’Donnell was outstanding and could have been man of the match. He had a super game. Ciaran Moore gets better and better. He didn’t give Armagh’s Andrew Murnin a sniff, and Murnin is a good player.

Caolan McGonagle has been a revelation at centre-half-back and he was involved in the end, scoring the vital equaliser and setting up another.

And fair play to the young Naomh Columba man, Aaron Doherty, who got on the end of the last move to fire over the winning point. I saw him in Bundoran in the league a few years ago and I was impressed with him.

It was  good also to see the return of Jason McGee and he put in a good performance. He will be needed for Derry too. Again there is more in Michael Langan, although he played well on Sunday.

Caolan McColgan is getting plenty of mileage under his wings and looks fully fit again; Oisin Gallen had a couple of wayward shots but his last point was a super effort. It was great also to have Niall O’Donnell back and looking sharp. You need sharpshooters like him who can fire over three points from distance.

Corner-backs Mark Curran and Caolan McColgan are good markers and are consolidating themselves as starters.

Armagh were talking about sickness in the camp and not having a place to train during the week which was a lame enough excuse.

We have the silverware in the bag and congratulations to all concerned.  It is a great boost to the county for the competitive games ahead.
https://www.donegallive.ie/news/gaa/1466112/the-alternative-view-oh-ye-of-little-faith-o-donnell-abu-rings-out-in-croker.html

I’m sure there will be in-house games to sort out who is fit for Derry over the next couple of weeks. I see that they are having their press night on Thursday night and that is a good idea to have that distraction out of the way.

Sunday was a great day in Croke Park but I was disappointed with the overall crowd of around 33,000. But then it was Easter Sunday and it’s a family day. I got a feeling that some people didn’t expect Donegal to win. But they showed great courage to come back and no mean skill.

But let’s be fair about it, all will have to raise their performance again for Derry.  They will have to bring their A game to Celtic Park. Sunday’s game will bring them on a power and the confidence gained is very important. They will not be overawed. I often think of the saying: ‘Meet a man with three hands or three legs; then you need to worry’.

I was glad to see Patrick McBrearty sharing the cup presentation along with Ciaran Thompson.

Congratulations to Derry on winning the Division 1 cup after a very exciting contest with Dublin. Like ourselves, they  had to win it two or three times, but a couple of poor calls by the referee went against them. It was an exciting finish nevertheless.

CLUB LEAGUES

The club leagues here in Donegal got up and running at the weekend and I see that there were some issues with clubs failing to field reserve teams. To be fair I felt that some of the games could have been played on the Bank Holiday Monday. But we are up and running and that’s positive.

Our minors are out in the championship this Saturday and good luck to them in Enniskillen against Fermanagh.

As for our seniors, it’s heads down now and full steam ahead for Celtic Park. Let’s hope Donegal supporters go there in their numbers to support this team.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell