McShea's Say: Tyrone will be anxious to end Donegal’s winning streak 

Rivalry is defined as the state of two groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. It is the “against each other” spirit between two competing sides.  

When Donegal and Tyrone meet, it is that “against each other” spirit that is always evident. It sees fans from both counties coloured and bedecked in a battle for the honour and pride of their county.  

There is no sound as sweet as the sound of the final whistle when things have gone your team’s way in a Tyrone/Donegal championship match. While few sounds are as terrible as the sound of Tyrone's cheers of joy when things have gone wrong.  

This rivalry between the two great footballing counties is what makes football so exciting. It makes the victory so special and the defeat so utterly devastating.  

Great sporting rivalries are fueled by the passion of both players and spectators, by the fact that it seems at times like nothing matters.  

Tyrone will arrive in Ballybofey on Saturday night in good spirits after their top-class display in beating Kerry last weekend in the All-Ireland U-20 final. Underage achievements naturally fuel expectations of senior glory, and when several of these U-20s join the senior ranks, Tyrone will be a formidable outfit.  

No doubt Brian Dooher’s team will travel to MacCumhaill Park relishing the opportunity to put the Ulster champions in their box, and they will have no intention of waiting to get some of that U-20 team on board to believe that they are now very capable of beating Donegal for the first time since Jim McGuinness returned to manage his county.  

Watching the ‘Sunday Game’ last weekend, Peter Canavan, arguably Tyrone’s greatest ever player seemed like he was relishing coming to Ballybofey, and while arrogance has no part in Peter’s personality, he clearly felt that Tyrone was very capable of winning what should be another riveting encounter.  

I believe that the Donegal players are only now beginning to believe what they have achieved in winning the Ulster title, and how much it means to their very large fan base to see the Anglo Celt Cup back in the county. 

In winning the Ulster title, Donegal prevailed without some of their more established performers, with some key players a little off-colour, but they were disciplined in defense, and late in the game when the pressure was on, there was a hypnotic quality about their passing and their point scoring.  

In beating Derry, Tyrone, and Armagh, Donegal showed a desire and a maturity that was both admirable and effective. Tyrone is always a difficult opposition; over the years they have produced an array of wonderful players; Frank McGuigan, Eugene McKenna, and Peter Canavan were among some of the greatest exponents. Now Darragh Canavan is cut from the same cloth as his father Peter, and he will need special attention against Donegal.  

In the belief that Donegal has the resources to deal with the Canavan threat and has a greater scoring power, I am confident that they will continue their winning ways against Tyrone.                                                                                                            

What About Derry?  

Derry swaggered past every opposition until Donegal put them out of Ulster in Celtic Park.  

You would’ve thought they would’ve learned from that defeat and now be in a position of extraordinary confidence and power, but that didn’t happen. I believe it made them extremely vulnerable.  

They now seem unable to deal with the air of defeat. But one of the truisms of football is that a good side does not become a bad side overnight. Despite their defeat in Galway, I expect Derry to still make an impact in their search for Sam.