McShea’s Say: Improvement under Jim McGuinness has already been significant 

Winning in Carlow against Kildare on Saturday was of huge significance for Donegal football. 

After the trials and tribulations of last year, an instant return to Division 1 football is just what the doctor ordered for this young team. 

Playing in the top tier of league football is the ideal place to mature and it is no coincidence to note that few sides from outside Division 1 have ever managed to get their hands on Sam Maguire in September or even in July when the football final is now played. 

Management and players deserve much credit for the rapid transformation in fortunes that has taken place this year. The improvement in this team’s form in a matter of months is most impressive. 

But such a transformation did just not happen, it had to be made to happen and it is the culmination of much hard work and strategic planning. 

Now, on Easter Sunday, Donegal's odyssey is set to continue at the GAA’s very own ‘theatre of dreams’, Croke Park when Armagh provide the opposition in the Division 2 decider. 

This game will see two of football’s great pretenders come face to face in what has the potential to be an intriguing battle for bragging rights before the commencement of the Ulster championship. 

But this Saturday, Meath provide the opposition in Ballybofey in the final league encounter and no doubt any team managed by Colm O’Rourke will be ultra-competitive as they battle to retain their status in this Division. 

Apart from the boost that promotion should provide, there are a number of reasons for Donegal followers to be pleased about our league campaign to date. 

Young Ciaran Moore is the find of the season and he has shown remarkable maturity in a variety of positions.

He is playing with a confidence not usually associated with one so young. Daire Ó Baoill is another who has shown exceptional improvement under Jim McGuinness'  management and he is well on his way to securing that elusive championship jersey. 

Mark Curran has settled into county football really well and he too should play in Derry in our championship outing, now only a month away. 

Peadar Mogan is now the man who can quickly grasp the nuts and bolts of a specialist commission. he is our ‘go to’ man in defence or up front and his five points from play against Kildare was a clear example of football excellence no matter where on the pitch he is located. 

Ryan McHugh’s return to top form is another positive, a man for all seasons, a saviour in times of need, the Kilcar native’s competitive streak will be vital in the weeks ahead. 

In the league campaign to date, Donegal have played with a commitment and an assurance that the opposition could not match apart from the Armagh game in the Athletic Grounds where the teams finished level. 

On Saturday, against Meath, no doubt the Royal County will play with raw courage and much character.

But Donegal, now on the crest of a wave, will not want to relinquish their unbeaten record  before heading to Croke Park. 

So far this year, both on and off the pitch, Donegal have got the fundamentals right. They have kept the gameplan straightforward and have played at the highest possible tempo. 

This type of game obviously depends on players being extremely fit, because if they are not, everything else falls apart. 

But it has to be acknowledged that every intercounty side playing in modern football has developed fitness levels, sometimes at the cost of ignoring the basic skills. 

One aspect of our team’s play that I would like to see improved would be in creating and taking more goal-scoring opportunities. 

It  may seem somewhat churlish to have any issue after such a great league campaign, but apart from the positive effect that a three-pointer has on the scoreboard, it is also true that goals win matches. 

There should be a carnival atmosphere in  MacCumhaill Park on Saturday for the Meath match and it’s a good opportunity for a large home following to welcome home our Division  1 side.