'Our lads have character and a will to win, they showed that today' - Jim McGuinness

Jim McGuinness was all smiles outside the dressing room in Croke Park as the media gathered around him, clutching to his every word. 

He finishes his league campaign for 2024 undefeated after overcoming Armagh in the Division 2 final by one point following their 0-15 to 0-14 point win.  

And while for long periods of the game, Kieran McGeeney’s side asked questions of the 2012 All-Ireland winners, it was Aaron Doherty who clinched the final score, to see Donegal land their first piece of silverware since 2019. 

But with experienced players like Patrick McBrearty and Ryan McHugh missing, to name a few, you can easily see why the Donegal boss tended to focus on the positives of his side’s victory. 

“There were a lot of young lads there on the bus going to play in Croke Park for the first time and playing in a final too, that’s a big ask,” said the Naomh Conaill man.  

“We knew with the injury list that we had, we didn’t want to be taking risks, so trying to manage that, on top of winning the league, we’re delighted how we managed our game and the end result, we’re so proud of the boys.” 

Despite the nip-and-tuck aspect of the match, McGuinness believes that Donegal were the better side throughout and shouldn’t have let Armagh back into the match as easily as they did in the last 10 minutes of the game. 

“We controlled a lot of the game. I don’t think it should’ve been as tight as it was at the end, but when things like that happen, you find out a little bit about your team. From being four points up to one point down, it was a massive positive that we could retake the lead and see the match out,” McGuinness said. 

“I think that shows that the lads are finding their feet, it shows they have character and a will to win. It’s been a very good league, we’ve come together, and we’ve put a squad together and we got the reward of winning a trophy and getting back to Division 1.” 

Even when Armagh hit their purple patch, the Donegal manager praised his side for sticking to their gameplan and never giving in. He highlights that the best teams in the country control matches and play them on their own terms, which is what he says Donegal did today. 

“To be a top team, you need to be able to make good decisions on the ball, Dublin, Kerry, and Derry are doing that, they play the game on their own terms, and I think we did that today,” McGuinness said. 

“From a defensive point of view, we kept them to eight points until the final 10 minutes or so, so that’s very pleasing. 

“We will obviously need to look at the final minutes of the game and how we can better ourselves at easing the game out, but it’s a good day overall, especially when you leave with a trophy.” 

There might be areas to work on for when Donegal travel to Celtic Park to play Derry in the championship in three weeks, but for now the 2012 All-Ireland winning manager is happy to see his side constantly improving and heading back to Ulster with some silverware under their belts. 

“I think the most important thing for us is to settle ourselves when it’s not going our way. We knew we just had to stay calm and get our hands on the ball. A lot of the issues stemmed from not being able to get our hands on the kickout, but for us, it’s all about learning from these experiences and that’ll make us better as a team. 

“We knew we just had to trust the process and believe in what we’re doing and know it’ll work out for us.”