Anthony Molloy believes ‘Donegal have the experience' to get past Derry

It is perhaps a measure of the serious threat Derry and Rory Gallagher will bring to Donegal, that one of the county’s greatest icons gives only a measured nod to Tir Chonaill to regain the Anglo Celt Cup.

All-Ireland winning captain of 1992, Anthony Molloy expects Declan Bonner’s side to win, but only after a huge team effort.
Donegal must also tighten up the defence and leave Michael Murphy inside for longer periods if they are to take back the titles.

“We have the talent, but we need the hunger and the energy and these players are there for a few years now and I think Sunday will be a defining day for all of them,” Molloy said.

“I am happy with the way we have been playing this year and we have done everything asked of us and I think that Declan Bonner will be very happy going into the final next Sunday.

“I think Derry are nearly being more fancied than Donegal at this present moment in time as they have played very well, beaten the All-Ireland champions Tyrone and then a very good Monaghan team and they are coming from the stronger half of the draw.

“People were talking after the Cavan match, but that’s not a bad Cavan team. They have seven or eight players who would make any county team. I don’t think we were ever In any real trouble against Cavan and we also took care of a fancied Armagh side and we did the business there also.

“I honestly think we need a big game as Derry are a very good side and we were very lucky to get over them last year”.
Molloy wonders if Derry can put three big games together, following their excellent wins over Tyrone and then Monaghan.
“That is very hard to do, and Derry are just like us in 2011 and 2012 with huge hunger and they haven’t won an Ulster title since 1998 when they beat Donegal,” Molloy said.

“They have passion and appetite and fitness, and they also have the players as well. They are set up very much like us and if you turn over Derry you are still facing a blanket defence of 14 men. We have to match that energy and hunger and if we do, we will definitely win the game”.

Molloy believes that the talents within the Donegal panel are understated and that they can stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the province.

“We are just as gifted as Derry, and we have more experience,” he said. “The worry I have is that we can’t afford to give Derry a lead. We will have to tighten up defensively and in the Cavan game we were far too open in the first 15-20 minutes.
“Cavan could have got a goal in their second half and should have got a penalty.

“Declan Bonner is around long enough to know Derry and to know Rory Gallagher’s style and it could be a very defensive first 10-15 minutes next Sunday. They will be trying to test each other out and it might not be that nice to look at.

“When Monaghan changed things around in the second half and went wide, they outscored Derry, but goals win games and Derry got that third one just when they needed it most. But we need big games from all of our team and no Ulster final is ever easy won”.

Molloy does not accept that Rory Gallagher’s understandable inside knowledge of Donegal is an extra ace for the Oak Leafers, despite the fact they were within a whisker of winning in the Ulster SFC in Ballybofey last year, with Patrick McBrearty kicking the winning point for Donegal in a 0-16 to 0-15 success in injury time.

“People are saying that, but it doesn't matter who you are playing in an Ulster final as most teams will know all about you anyway,” Molloy added. “I would not be worried about that at all. Derry is coming with big expectations and they have a lot of experience too with the Slaughtneil players having loads of All-Ireland club experience. They also have success at minor and U-20 level so it will not be easy. I still expect us to win”.

On the debate about Michael Murphy in or out, Molloy is firmly in favour of the Glenswilly giant being left inside a lot more.
“Hopefully we can keep him inside more.

“Against Cavan we had two long balls inside, and we got two goals,” he said. “I think we might have to vary our game a bit more. If you have Murphy inside it is going to take two men to mark him so somebody else is free.
“If they could leave him in for 10-15 minutes it would be good, and this is the most talked about things in Donegal. Hopefully the rest of the guys will see that, and Hugh McFadden gets through a lot of work and he does not get full credit for it and Jason McGee has also really come on

“Michael Langan is a fabulous player, but we need them all to have big games if we are to win”.
But Donegal are very well in the height department around midfield and this is an avenue they should take advantage of, according to Molloy.

“We can hold our own around this area and we have some really tall lads who are six foot plus and they can all play,” he said.
“I would be worried defensively, and Declan Bonner will be obviously working on this. I think we will have to set up as we did in Jim McGuinness’s time. We have to show more hunger to get back behind the ball when we lose the ball.
“Derry certainly has that hunger and when they lose they ball to get back in big numbers. And then they can counter at speed which is a bit worrying too.

“So, Donegal will need to be fired up equally and Eoghan Ban Gallagher has been having a great season bursting out of defence and he needs support. We want options when we are breaking from defence, and we can’t slow the game down because if we do, we will be allowing Derry to regroup and shut us out. It could end up as a match at break-neck speed”.
Not since 1992 have Donegal had so many quality forwards, Molloy states.

“Not only that, but we have some great midfielders as well and lads who can hit points from long-range, which is important against a blanket defence, which is what Derry will have in spades,” he said.
“I would hope that Donegal will not be trying to go down the middle like Monaghan and get tied up, we need width as well as pace.”

Whoever comes out on Sunday will progress to the All-Ireland quarter-finals and the defeated side will face into the last 12, in the qualifiers.

“Let’s concentrate on Sunday first,” Molloy added. “Derry has very good players and players who know how to win things as well. We have the experience and there will be more of a pressure on Derry to win as they have not won any Ulster title since 1998 so the pressure will be on Derry as well to win after such a long time. Finals are always different and if we get a 20-man effort next week we should get through”.