Ward pleased with Donegal response against Monaghan after Down defeat last week

Donegal minors put in another good shift in the Fr Tierney Park, Ballyshannon in overcoming Monaghan in their final group game in the Ulster championship. The win means they will have a home semi-final back at the Ballyshannon venue in two weeks’ time.

After the game Donegal manager, Barry Ward, was really pleased with the performance, especially after they had suffered their only defeat of the championship campaign a week earlier in Newry against Down.

“At the start of the year we targeted a semi-final and broke it into different blocks. Look, we’re through another block of games and we are in a semi-final and looking forward to a game here in Ballyshannon.

“We have two weeks now to prepare and we’re really looking forward to that,” said Ward.

In a must-win game for Donegal, they finished top of their group. The second and third teams in the two groups meet each other in the quarter-finals. Derry are the other team through to the semi-finals having topped Group B.

“We could end up with one of the teams we have played already but so be it. It is important that we control what we can control ourselves.

“We were very disappointed after last week (against Down, going down heavily in Newry). We had a very good meeting with the lads on Monday night and just talked about the game. And not just the game itself, but how we felt going up the road, how we prepared for it. Just making sure that we looked at things differently, even the management team ourselves.

“We prepared very well during the week and maybe it took us 10 minutes to settle in but that last 20 minutes of the first half I thought we were excellent.

“Obviously it ended up being the winning of the game. In the second half we probably sat back a wee bit and gave the ball away cheaply and we tried to force it. But that is something we can look at,” said Ward.

It is their second championship win at the Ballyshannon venue, having accounted for Tyrone earlier while their other win was away to Fermanagh.

“Every team in our group lost a game and that goes to show how tough it was. It’s not just down to ourselves as well. We are playing quality opposition. We got caught last week but in the turnaround of a week and it just goes to show the lads were  excellent on Monday and Wednesday night and it showed out there today.”

Eoghan Gallagher, one of Donegal's best performers and a goalscorer, on the ball against Monaghan
Pic Thomas Gallagher

The defeat against Down was tough for the young Donegal squad who created plenty of chances but didn’t have their shooting boots with them.

“Yeah, it was a matter of focussing on the positives, we were getting into those positions and then again ifs and buts. The important thing today was that we got the first point on the board and it did settle us down,” said Ward, who felt happy with the defensive side of things. “We closed it up well late on and we didn’t look  like conceding a goal. Monaghan never really looked like getting back into the game. We kept them at arm’s length and that’s learning in itself and it goes to show a different aspect of these lads as well,” said Ward, who praised the defensive work of his front men and also the contribution made by the substitutions.

Topping the group means a home semi-final and that is a huge bonus according to the Donegal manager: “It’s very important. You want every advantage you can get and we have been very positive up here and the pitch is excellent in Ballyshannon and it’s made a massive difference. There’s that consistency there and it allows us to play football,” concluded Ward.