Donegal can get back on track against Monaghan says Val Murray

For Val Murray, Donegal games in Fr Tierney Park are special and they are extra-special when Monaghan, the birth place of his parents, provide the opposition.

One of three sons of Aidan and Jean Murray, Val and his brothers Alan and Brian are Ballyshannon born and nurtured and make no mistake about it, are Donegal men.

All three of the Murray brothers played minor, U-21 and Brian played for well over a decade for Donegal at senior level. And he was Anthony Molloy’s midfield partner on the history making team of 1992, the year Donegal won the first of its two All-Ireland senior crowns.

Val was one of Aodh Ruadh’s leading forwards throughout the 1990s and leading marksman for most of those years when the boys from Fr Tierney Park were one of the top club sides in Donegal.

In more recent times he has taken to refereeing and is now one of the leading officials in the county. And he has combined his officiating with managing Donegal to All-Ireland Masters success last year.

While Monaghan is dear to his heart and he follows the Farney county fortunes with great interest, Donegal is his number one.

“My dad, Aidan is from Monaghan town and my mum Jean is from Scotstown and a big football family,” explained Val.

Mum’s brother, Michael Forde, played for Monaghan for a couple of years in the 1960s and he was the youngest ever captain of Monaghan seniors.

“He was only 17 at the time. Scotstown won the championship that year and they had the right, just like still exists in Kerry, to nominate the captain.

“He only played a couple of years for Monaghan before he emigrated to Germany.”

Val has been very impressed with Donegal this season so far and despite the recents defeats against Galway and Dublin last weekend, he is very upbeat.

And he feels there is no reason why they cannot pick up enough points in their next three games to retain their top flight status.

“I accept the results haven’t gone our way but overall I think we have played very well and if we had any bit of luck at all we would be on eight points.

“In the first game against Mayo, we played well enough to be out of sight at half-time and weren’t and got caught with a late goal.

“We were seven or eight points up against Galway in O’Donnell Park and gave away two bad goals and lost by a point.”

And last Saturday night against Dublin, Shaun Patton who had been brilliant right through the game under a high ball and then had the misfortune not to hold one and Paul Mannion was on hand to punish.

“It is a cruel game, a forward can miss a ball and there is no great consequence.

“But a goalkeeper misses one ball and it ends up in the back of the net. Shaun is a fine goalkeeper and has had a great league campaign so far and is right up there with Stephen Cluxton, Rory Beggan and Niall Morgan as one of the top keepers in the modern game.

“The games are so close a mistake can be costly. But that apart and given we have only three points from a possible eight I still think we have played very well.

“The two games we lost were by a point on each occasion so in a scenario like that the game’s could have gone either way.

“But when you consider we were short so many players and in particular Stephen McMenamin and Paddy McGrath in defence, Jason McGee in the middle of the field and Patrick McBrearty and Oisin Gallen in the forward line.

“It was good to see Patrick McBrearty back last weekend. Dáire Ó Baoill also missed a couple of games with an injury.

“Division One is very competitive and apart from a couple last weekend there has been very little between any of the teams.

“We are missing a Martin Gavigan/Kieran McGeeney type of player at centre half-back; a player that will have the physical presence to close off the middle.

“Stephen McMenamin and Paddy McGrath will add a bit of steel to the defence when they return.

“Otherwise I would be happy with the team. Ciaran Thompson and Peadar Mogan are going well in the forward line and with Patrick McBrearty back they will be even stronger in this department.

“Hugh McFadden has developed into a good holding midfielder and does a lot of work off the ball and he scored a great goal last Saturday night against Dublin.

“Michael Murphy, what can one say about Michael. He is the best footballer in the country. He is a giant and is unstoppable when he gets going and is playing on the top of his game.

“The pity is we cannot clone him and have one Michael Murphy for inside in the full-forward line and one out around the middle of the field.

“Ryan McHugh is playing very well too and himself and Michae Murphy have a great understanding. Michael and Ryan are huge players for us.

“Michael Langan had a good Sigerson Cup campaign with Letterkenny IT and he is developing into a fine midfielder.

“Donegal have three tough games to come starting with Monaghan on Sunday.

“Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney is back in as Monaghan manager and he has them going really well and he has shaken things up.

“He has moved Ryan Whylie to centre half-back and Darren Hughes is playing well in the middle of the field and Conor McCarthy is flying at centre half-forward.

“They are playing a very high intensity game with 14 men playing behind the ball. They leave Conor McManus up front on his own and McCarthy is the link player.

“They are going to be a handful but with Patrick McBrearty back - though Jamie Brennan is going to be a big loss - and given Donegal’s good record in Fr Tierney Park, I’m hoping for a Donegal win.

“But it is going to be mighty close and I would not be surprised if it ended in a draw.”