An alternative view: Part two - When February made me shiver …

So, with Donegal taking a point from Markievicz Park on opening day and giving Mayo one for the back of the bus for their return to Castlebar, it was Kildare who rolled into Ballybofey on Sunday.

The occasion in itself was a million miles from when Monaghan arrived for the opening Allianz League fixture last year. Then, the competition was spliced into north and south, teams were togging in the stands or nearby hotels and supporters risked a District Court sitting for trying to catch a glimpse through a fence.

It was good to see normality again, with the streets of the Twin Towns coming to life with a match taking place and, dare it be said after the travails of Sligo town, even good to see the car-parks filling.

If Gareth Doherty, he of the megaphone outside MacCumhaill Park, told folk once his entrance was terrace only, then he told them a thousand times.

The previous weekend, TG4 got a bit of a social media bashing for what they didn’t do - invent a self-cleaning camera lens - and on Sunday they got moaned about for something they did do, showed some hurling.

“Donegal game not on TG4 lad?,” beeped the Whatsapp. “No, don’t think so,” was the reply, hoping not to get too deeply involved in this, thinking a “NO” would’ve worked infinitely better. “Why not?,” came back, as quick as you can say one-two-three. 

“They’re showing something else,” now seriously thinking about, at the very least, muting this conversation, although throwing the mobile phone into one of those skips with wheels on would definitely put an end to this capering. 

Kilcar state their 'utter contempt' at CCC's decision over 2020 Donegal SFC final debacle

The Towney-based club tonight released a strongly-worded statement and while they will not be appealing any decision further, made it perfectly clear they are unhappy with the €5,000 fine awarded to Naomh Conaill, who will keep the title

With no Super Sunday on for a second week in a row - God forbid - and not even a Manchester United rerun on the Comedy Channel before the African Cup of Nations final was due to kick off, these are challenging times for Premier League followers.

Some even worry if defeat - and one of them had to lose at Cameroon’s Yaounde's Olembé Stadium - would have a detrimental effect on either Egypt’s Mohamed Salah or Senegal’s Sadio Mane later in the season in Liverpool’s colours.

“They’re always showing that ‘oul bloody hurling. Same crap every week,” came the latest replay, presumably oblivious to the fact this was the first round of 2022 in the Allianz Hurling League and that Irish people tend to enjoy watching hurling too. Beep. Again. Different buck this time. “Any streams lad … ?”. Mute. Is there a skip around here? One of those skips with wheels?

In Ballybofey, it’s pretty cold and you were wondering if there would be any changes to the Donegal starting XV. With Paddy Campbell added to the backroom team, we heard there would be more defensive shape in 2022. 

On inspection of the match programme, however, the naming of Niall Mac Aoidh in Irish and Brendan McCole as béarla, both at full-back, looked like a stunt that probably wouldn’t pull the wool over referee Barry Cassidy’s eyes. 

Former Donegal Oifigeach Chultúrtha agus Teaga Fergus McGee is the man with the mic at MacCumhaill Park and having told us that Naomh Columba’s Aaron Doherty was on the bench and Odhrán Doherty from Naomh Conaill wasn’t, you figured you’d make a pound or two selling biros beside the programme stalls. 

Fergus also let everyone know that “Jo-elle” Bradley-Walsh, the MacCumhaill’s forward who had an excellent Sigerson Cup, was among the substitutes as well. For no reason whatsoever connected with a game of football, it made you wonder, despite what the spelling might suggest, is the singer, phonetically speaking,  Billy Joel or Billy Jo-elle? Or are they the same thing?

One thing for sure, it was freezing. As Don McClean now, not Billy Whatyamacallum, put into song ‘... February made me shiver’. 

February is a bit like an ex. Occasionally - well, very occasionally - on first glance it can look nice and pretty, and relatively harmless. But within a minute it's cold and, when it wants to be, it can be pretty cutting. Basically, if truth be told, you know you’ll be more than happy to see the back of it.  

A hailstorm could be heard dancing over the stand, rat-a-tat-tatting, about five seconds before it was seen. There had been concern over the fixture - with it raining cats and dogs for some time beforehand - and whether the pitch would be up for it. 

You got the impression that although the playing surface appeared reasonable from afar, it might soon have the look of a chocolate crumble that some glutton ran their finger through, yet nobody would admit to.

With the MacCumhaill’s volunteers willing to put in overtime, the pitch held up pretty well in the circumstances, although nobody was too sure if the weather would, too.

But it cleared up and Cassidy, having ensured the aforementioned Niall Mac Aoidh wasn’t playing, threw the ball in the air, and off we went. Donegal started well enough, although Kildare’s attacks carried menace too. After 20 minutes or so, with nothing really out of the ordinary, Declan Bonner’s side were 0-5 to 0-3 up but down went Michael Murphy and off went Michael Murphy. 

Kevin Feely, the Kildare midfielder, hobbled towards the sideline at the same time. With Fergus’s announcement of the substitution still echoing around the ground, Jimmy Hyland, in enough space to let a provisional licence holder first-time-land a helicopter, punched a goal to put Kildare into the lead.

Donegal responded well and with Eoghan Bán Gallagher a willing ball-carrier into opposition territory, and produced two goals late in the half through Patrick McBrearty and then Ryan McHugh to establish a six-point lead.

Kildare’s goalkeeper Aaron O’Neill, for a spell in that second quarter, was having issues off the tee and at one stage - he’s not the first man to try this having double-checked his options and shrugged his shoulders - just went route one. Jason McGee, playing well and making his presence felt, gathered with ease.

Pushing up and playing with what you might call a controlled abandon, Donegal were causing Kildare problems and creating chances. At one stage, Peadar Mogan, also making constant inroads when in possession, was fouled in front of the tunnel and rapidly looked left and then right, immediately trying to find a teammate on the gallop. 

But with none forthcoming, Peadar Mogan probably learned in that split second that not everyone is as fast as Peadar Mogan. At half-time, 2-7 to 1-4 ahead, and, all in all, a praiseworthy Donegal response to the setbacks of losing a skipper and a goal.

Both teams emerged within seconds of one another for the second half. With that, we were spared that stand-off you see when one stays on in the dressing room for some final instructions. At the same time the other stands, some players with hands on hips in the middle of the pitch, others rubbing their hands together to keep away the cold, with adrenaline levels declining by the minute. 

At the Donegal SFC final one murky October afternoon in 2016, Glenswilly left Kilcar standing that long it was suggested the NCT on their team buses might expire.

Referee Cassidy, ball in hand, had to tell the four midfielders to wait on the second half throw-in until the pitch cleared as three men in Donegal tracksuits slowly made their way across toward the direction of the dugout. 

‘Brilliant’ Conor O’Donnell praised after big Donegal display

O’Donnell kicked three points in Sunday’s 2-11 to 1-9 win over Kildare in Ballybofey

One supporter in the main stand even shouted “Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey, will ya ever hurry up tae f…,” when he suddenly realised Murphy was one of the trio. “Good man Michael Murphy …,” the same supporter shouted with a hearty clap, looking around - not as fast as Mogan either - a little nervously to make sure he was seen. “Fair play to ya Michael,” he yelped before, thankfully, deciding to sit back down.

When Jason McGee also hobbled off three minutes into the second half, Donegal had lost their two biggest players. Having squandered a five-point lead to Mayo a week beforehand and with Kildare mustering a draw from a deficit of the same amount against Kerry, this one wasn’t over.

There was a worry among the home support that the hosts might be getting the heebie-jeebies. Kildare started to gnaw into the Donegal lead in a difficult third quarter. 

Only Conor O’Donnell - really growing into the jersey with his third from play of the day - scored for Donegal around that time, with Glenn Ryan’s visitors hitting four and missing as many again. One was waved wide, pretty similar to Ryan O’Donoghue’s for Mayo in Sligo, which was given. Not this time, though.

“What’s happening in the other games,” someone asked. “Ammm, Mayo are two up on Monaghan and … wait till I find this  … one second now … yeah … it’s here somewhere … hold on  … yeah … that’s it … Armagh 14 Tyrone 11,” was the answer, following some frantic up-and-then-down-and-then-up-again phone scrolling. 

AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW: Markievicz, Mayo and the monsoon

Like many others, Alan Foley made the trip to Sligo on Sunday where Donegal opened their Allianz League Division 1 campaign against Mayo. Here’s his, somewhat alternative, viewpoint on what happened on the day ...

“Only three in it? Tyrone were losing by 10 at one stage there?” someone queried, missing the point that 14-11 was actually the number of players each side had left on the pitch after referee David Gough produced five red cards in one go. With that news, the actual score was irrelevant at the Athletic Grounds. 

For all the talk of Donegal and the wobbles, the score was certainly relevant in Ballybofey and Kildare were kept at arm’s length. It’s worth remembering that no visiting team has won at MacCumhaill Park in the National League since Down in 2010, with only Tyrone taking home a championship victory in that time. Let’s face it - and zero offence intended here - you didn’t want to break that streak against a team known as the Lilywhites. 

Much like late in the first half, Donegal steadied again deep into the second and finished it out, with Shane O’Donnell coming on to score the point of the game and Michael Langan, showing his effortless class, putting over another couple. 

When the Official Donegal GAA account tweeted those, they were dubbed “two badly-needed points.” Early days it might be but with Donegal headed for Killarney to play Kerry on Sunday week, the home victory provided “two badly-needed points” on the Division One table. Donegal won by five, 2-11 to 1-9. 

And so to the after-match  formalities. McCole and manager Bonner emerged behind the stand to face the media, by now, pretty blue-lipped from the cold. 

You get the feeling that if Bonner climbed Everest wearing a blindfold without a Sherpa, he’d be about to plant the green and gold flag at the summit and someone would ask “what about Murphy?” Or, perhaps, “any chance of a wee video there, Declan? Two minutes, I promise.”

It was too early to give much of a prognosis on the captain’s injury so it’s a matter of wait and see. Bonner, admitting that the performance was not flawless, was happy enough with the resolve shown by his team, minus some of their leaders. The best way to surmise it? Job done.