Duffy on U-20 panel: 'They are passionate Donegal people - they want to play for Donegal'

It is uncanny! For you felt you were watching the next wave of Michael Langan, Jason McGee and Ciaran Thompson’s as this tall physically imposing Donegal side had far too much aerial power and ground panache for Armagh.

They are long, lean and languid and well- conditioned, led by team captain Rory O’Donnell, Ryan McFadden, Eoin Dowling, Jamie Grant, Padraig McGettigan and Kieran Tobin. Last night they defeated Armagh 1-17 to 0-9 in the preliminary round.

Skyscrapers in all the key positions and then guys with magic in their boots like Shane O’Donnell and jinking Johnny McGroddy while Richard O’Rourke is a great link man between defence and attack.

Team manager Gary Duffy not only has plenty of big men in the right central positions, and he has a giant backroom team led by 2012 legends Eamon McGee and Leo McLoone.

Duffy was well pleased with his charges, and he had every right to be as he spoke to the press after a fine Friday night victory. But he struck a note of caution.

“The score-line did not reflect the intensity that Armagh brought to this game," he said. “They are a physical outfit and maybe we were a bit more clinical in our finishing.

“The boys under the captain here beside me, Rory O’Donnelll put in a massive shift, and I thought our diamond around the middle worked really hard and helped to grind out the result for us”.

Duffy agreed that Donegal’s aerial and physical power right up the middle were key factors in this big victory.

“Traditionally Donegal are not known for big men, but this team certainly has plenty of height and it is great to have that sort of presence and they mastered their areas and won their individual battles. The lads were very patient.

“We knew Armagh would come out strong against us, but the lads stuck to the system and the game plan and grew into the game and kept improving and got a grip. We overcome that early surge and hit back to get the victory”.

Donegal hit some superb long- range points, especially in the first half-something Duffy knows they are very capable of doing.

“Well, its Ballybofey, so the lads should know how to kick long range points. They responded very well to the early challenge from Armagh and that was very pleasing. Preliminary rounds are always tough and are for getting over and we have a long road ahead of us.

“We followed suit after what the seniors did last weekend, so it is onwards and upwards from now on”.
This team looks very well- conditioned, and Duffy paid tribute to the work they did on lockdown to keep in shape.

“In fairness to the lads, they did a lot of this hard work themselves during lockdown," he added. “They are passionate Donegal people, and they want to play for Donegal, and they set high standards and they came into us in very good condition, and they deserve the height of credit for that”.

And while Donegal has loads of physicality, cuteness is also needed according to Duffy. “Yes, we have the height, but you need cuteness too and look at Ryan McShane maybe just the same height as myself, and had an excellent game and turned over every ball that went in towards him.

“Jamie Grant is a nice player too and I feel we have a good balance in this side. Eoin Dowling is the real deal and is a good physical young fellow and he goes about his business very well a credit to work with and is definitely one to watch out for”.

When asked about his massive back- room team, Duffy said: “You need that, and the back-room team has just been fantastic and not just Eamon McGee and Leo McLoone. “I also have Owenie McGarvey, Mickey McMahon, Oisin O’Flaherty and Mel O’Donnell.

“It takes a whole team of guys nowadays and we have a great link up with Letterkenny IT and the Master’s students there are involved with us and that brings extra professionalism to it”.

And with the growth of LYIT young Donegal players could be studying at home. Duffy added: “We now have the resources at our back door and need to use it as much as possible and it is great to have the likes of Michael Murphy and Karl Lacey involved and it is a great initiative”.

Onwards and upwards for Duffy’s young “fir fada”!