McShea's Say: Galway semi-final loss such a bitter pill to swallow for Donegal

In Croke Park on Sunday, when Donegal lost narrowly to Galway, the level of pride and the depth of feeling left no one in any doubt about just what this team and its management mean to the county. 

Such is the power of the Sam Maguire Cup and the allure that surrounds it, it’s a deep pursuit and when you come up short it cuts deeply. 

Not everyone is fortunate to see the Sam Maguire Cup in their home place during their lifetime. But even so, the chase and pursuit of Sam is something that lifts us all and defines the football year. 

I was very proud of my Donegal roots at the weekend as the atmosphere in Croke Park was simply incredible.

67,000 fans turned out for a riveting game of football and I have no doubt that at least 40,000 of those were Donegal men, women and children. 

The Sam Maguire Cup is the most iconic and prestigious trophy in Irish sport, and this Donegal squad did us proud in pursuit of it this year. 

Croke Park was a mass of green and gold and it seemed that every child in the county was proudly wearing our county colours for this game. 

I can admit that I was extremely disappointed when I woke on Monday morning. My first thought was that we would not be playing Armagh on Sunday week in the All-Ireland final. 

No doubt the players will have experienced similar disappointing emotions as they will realise that they were on the cusp of history and were foiled late in the game despite their best efforts. 

When the draw for the first round of the Ulster championship was made and Donegal were to go to play league champions Derry in the first round, I’m not sure that any of the 67,000 at Sunday’s game would have anticipated Donegal being one of the semi-finalists this year. 

But the welcome return of Jim McGuinness as manager created a serious feel-good factor about Donegal’s prospects. 

And winning promotion to the top tier of League football, followed by winning the Ulster title, and being 70 minutes away from a fourth appearance in an All-Ireland final, had us all hoping that Donegal’s odyssey was set to continue at the GAA’s ‘Theatre of Dreams’. 

With Galway providing the semi-final opposition, this was a clash of two talented outfits. With Oisin Gallen and Patrick McBrearty on one side and Shane Walsh and Damien Comer on

the other, this was a mouth-watering prospect. 

The feeling was growing, not just within Donegal, but throughout the land that this was a year when Donegal could finally deliver their third All-Ireland title. 

Donegal had played some sparkling football, chalking up massive scores on their way to the last four. And while there had been some anxious moments along the way, Jim McGuinness’ side had emerged as a team to be feared. 

This was a contest that offered staggering potential as a spectacle, as the champions of Ulster and Connacht both had an instinctive desire to blast forward at every opportunity. 

In the opening stages of this match, it was very much nip and tuck with Gallen playing superbly in leading the Donegal attack. 

But the script had to change after a most fortuitous Galway goal when midfielder Paul Conroy, in attempting to score a Galway point saw, his effort drop short and finish up in the Donegal goal after Mattie Tierney, Galways wing forward, clearly blocked keeper Shaun Patton’s vision. 

As fears emerged that this soft goal could lead to Donegall’s undoing, those concerns proved totally unfounded as an unflappable self-belief kept Donegal going and the intensity of their approach never waned. 

With Michael Langan playing superbly and hitting some wonderful long-range points, this was a Donegal performance of grit and courage and despite that goal, Donegal headed for half-time tea break level with Galway.

The second-half saw a major tactical change from Donegal as they decided to concede the Galway kickout which was surprising. 

Yes, in the first half Donegal struggled to win quality ball in the middle of the park but Conor Gleeson in the winners’ goal looked hesitant and uncertain as he took a very long time in hitting his goal kicks and he looked low in confidence in this crucial aspect of the game. 

Donegal did suffer a body blow when the excellent Eoghan Bán Gallagher, after a probing run into the Galway defence which resulted in a free for Patrick McBrearty to convert, picked up an injury and had to be replaced. 

The Killybegs man was a serious loss to Donegal’s prospects as Galway dominated the closing stages and emerged with a two-point victory.

Previewing this semi-final, many observers were of the opinion that the result would hinge of the Donegal defenders’ ability to do a damage limitation job an Shane Walsh and Damien Comer. 

Eoghan Bán and Brendan McCole, between them, held Galway’s deadly duo to one point from play but the other Galway forwards did the real of damage. 

Apart from Brendan and Eoghan Bán, Michael Langan was also simply superb while Patrick McBrearty had his best game of the year in playing a captain’s part. 

And I was surprised to see him withdrawn. Ciaran Thompson had a very good first half. Our record in semi-finals is disappointing, three wins and seven defeats, and this was a game that was there to be won. 

Still, Donegal football is back where it belongs and after a wonderful year with pride restored we are in a good place. And for that we owe our players, Jim McGuinness and his backroom team a big thank you for what was simply a very special year.