McCahill wants to bring club winning mentality to county team

Donegal minor vice-captain Conor McCahill accounted for just two points on Saturday as Donegal overcame Tyrone by 2-12 to 1-8 in round two of the Ulster Minor Championship, one of his smallest returns of the year.

But he was really happy with the team performance, especially by his fellow forwards, who all got on the scoresheet. In all Donegal had 10 different scorers in one of their most impressive displays at minor level in some time.

Donegal have been playing second fiddle to Tyrone and Derry at minor level in recent years so this was a welcome result and McCahill was fully aware of the poor record.

“Yeah, it was great. We said it, even at the start of the year, we wanted all the big teams, the Tyrones, the Derrys and today we just showed out there, we showed we wanted it more than them. We wanted to dig deep and we got it,” said McCahill.

A few weeks earlier at the same venue, Donegal had lost out to Down in the Ulster Minor League semi-final with conditions very similar, very windy with showers. Down won that game thanks to a goal just before half-time when playing against the wind and there was a close similarity on Saturday last as Donegal worked a good goal just before the break to go in level at 1-3 to 0-6. They would hit their second goal just over 30 seconds into the new half with Gaoth Dobhair’s Colm Ó Dochartaigh on the end of both.

For Conor McCahill, the reverse against Down was a turning point for the team.

“That game did really motivate us. Coming down here and getting beaten by Down was not a good result and we said when we got back in training we worked out what was right, what was wrong, what we needed to do on and off the pitch. And the boys committed so well.

“And even the management, pushing it on, pushing it on. And then today that was the final product what we wanted to pursue out of that game.”

On Saturday McCahill had Colm Ó Dochartaigh in the front line alongside him and he was really impressed by his finishing.

“It was good to see all the forwards getting involved. Colm, to be fair, has been quiet for a few games but today he really showed himself. I knew he had it in him from the start of the season. I’m very proud of him getting 2-2. He deserved it; he has been going crazy in training and has improved immensely.”

The game marked the return of two other important players to the team after injury.

“It was good to see Max Campbell and Luke McGuinness back; they’re only back two trainings ago and you could see they wanted it. The boys have pushed them on and they got into the starting team, totally deserved.

“I’m very happy with the team. Look, it’s not easy to beat Tyrone in championship especially. We showed our standards against Fermanagh and we did that again today.”

Barry Ward’s charges have next weekend off and the following week they have a return meeting with Down in Newry,  while they finish the group games at home to Monaghan.

“We have a lot of motivation now (for the Down game). We want to get back at them now for what happened here  (in the league semi-final). That wasn’t us that day, that wasn’t near us that day, so we will be a different animal going to Down.

“Every team is brilliant in Ulster. It’s the hardest competition in Ireland. As long as we get into the knock-out stages in Tier 1 we will be flying.”

McCahill is one of a big number of Four Masters players on the Donegal minor panel and he has the Carr brothers, Turlough and Tomás alongside him on the starting team.

“It’s good to have that group of fellas up from the club. We have a real bond and then we can just put that bond in with everyone else with the wins that we’ve had. We can bring that into the county as well, into the team,” said McCahill.