The Alternative View: Louth test over with plenty to work on for semi-final

Our capital city was mobbed at the weekend with music and parades and it will also be remembered  as the weekend that the Dubs handed back Sam Maguire after a classic encounter with Galway.

The Saw Doctors were live in Fairview Park after Galway’s win in Croker and it was a party to savour. The 90 year curse (Galway had not beaten Dublin in championship football since 1934) was put to bed by Padraic Joyce’s charges, who made light of losing captain Sean Kelly and sharpshooter Shane Walsh to injury.

Shania Twain was in full flow in Malahide Castle and one of her hit songs ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’ would probably sum up the other three quarter-finals.

Granted conditions were poor for the opening quarter-final between Armagh and Roscommon, but it was riddled with poor play. The red card picked up by Roscommon’s Ruaidhri Fallon didn’t help their cause, but they have no one to blame but themselves as their shooting and general play didn’t deserve any more.

Armagh took full advantage of any gifts and they also had a much stronger bench with Stefan Campbell making a huge contribution.

It was a result which pointed to the form teams advancing and when Dublin dominated Galway for much of the first half and led by four at half-time, 0-11 to 0-7, that trend looked likely to continue. They were still three up approaching the hour mark but very un-Dublin like, faded in the run-in as Galway bared their teeth. Shane Walsh had kept Galway in the contest until he had to go off injured, but they found another hero in Cillian McDaid and they got over the line by a point in a really thrilling contest.

I watched the game not far from the Saw Doctors venue, in Kavanaghs on the Malahide Road, and there was a great atmosphere. As the game entered the final 10 minutes Galway supporters seemed to appear out of nowhere to outnumber the Dubs, who were very gracious in defeat.

Eoghan Ban Gallagher being presented with a memento on the occasion of his 100th game for Donegal by Co chairperson Mary Coughlan

Up early on Sunday morning, the day looked to be much drier but as we arrived on Jones Road around 11.20, a June shower sent the supporters scampering for shelter under the Hogan Stand entrances.

An early morning press release from GAA Headquarters told us that if Donegal were successful they would be playing Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final. Donegal, we were told, were the only team that Galway could play to avoid repeat pairings. But what if Derry defeated Kerry? As it turned out later, Derry, like Dublin, were turfed out. But if they had won how could they be paired with Armagh as they, too, had already met?

Memo to Croke Park: From next season on, make quarter-finals and semi-finals open draws. Do the draws on the Sunday evening and that would make it much more exciting for supporters travelling home from venues or in the pubs on Sunday night. Also, in the words of GAA President, Jarlath Burns, it would inject more ‘jeopardy’ and make it much easier for the fixtures committee.

And when you are at it, try to get two or three more weeks into the overall scheduling to avoid teams playing week after week. Start the league a week early, if necessary, and push the All-Ireland final into the second Sunday of August. There! That would solve a lot of problems and I’m not charging for the advice.

The 1.15 throw-in meant some really early starts for those who travelled from Donegal on the morning. Scheduling here could also be a little more kind, maybe 1-45 and 3.45 would have been more appropriate. Even RTE Radio Sport were only on the air for the second half of the Donegal game.

Up on the seventh floor, Naomh Columba stalwart and PRO Damien Carr was in place to provide those not able to tune in with up to date information on the social media channels, that despite being hampered by a knee brace needed after literally getting out of the wrong side of the bed! It did not stop the Naomh Columba dynamo.

In the end the attendance inside Croker was announced at just over 47,000 and there was a good Donegal support, although they could make themselves heard a little more. All eyes were on the warm-up and it was obvious that Jason McGee was taking no part. Would he be needed?

As it turned out, the big Cloughaneely man was not needed, although I think Shaun Patton would be much happier if had him alongside Michael Langan when going long with the kick-outs. Langan put in a huge shift but will need help in the aerial department going forward.

Ryan McHugh settled the nerves with a point inside the first minute and all seemed to be going swimmingly as we led 0-5 to 0-1. Louth were not going to give up without a fight and got forward every time they were on the ball. Indeed, it seemed as if they could find holes in our defence, and but for some poor shooting they might well have led at half-time.

It was very similar to the contest between the sides in the league in Ballyshannon. Louth wouldn’t go away. Donegal’s first seven points were by seven different players and they would have 11 scorers by the end of the contest.

The three point half-time margin (0-11 to 0-8) flattered Donegal but they did pull away in the second half, going seven up at one stage before Louth pulled it back to four.

How fitting it was that Killybegs’ Eoghan Ban Gallagher, playing in his 100th game for the county, was on hand to finish the only goal of the game after good work from Aaron Doherty and Patrick  McBrearty. Looking back at the game on Monday, I might have been a bit harsh on captain McBrearty with the Marksman as he was involved in quite a few of the Donegal scores.

There was one bizarre moment in the game around the time of the goal when referee Joe McQuillan booked both Louth corner-backs Donal McKenny and Dan Corcoran at the same time. I would just love to know what those yellows were for?

Like every game, there was plenty to break down, both good and not so good. Scoring 1-23 following the 2-23 against Clare was encouraging. I would suggest that Sunday’s total was even more impressive given that the opposition was quite a few notches higher.

However, the concession of 0-18 (and Louth also had nine wides) will be something to  look at. More worryingly, a lot of the Louth scores came without a challenge and Donegal’s defence looked a bit open in the first half.

On the plus side we had a good number of really top class performers which ultimately was the difference between the teams. Donegal had just three wides and their starting defence accounted for 1-9 of the total. If you add in the starting midfielders getting 0-5, that is 1-14 of the 1-23 finishing total.

Just three of our starting six forwards got on the scoresheet and that will be looked at by Padraic Joyce and his Galway backroom team ahead of their All-Ireland semi-final meeting.

But hats off to Peadar Mogan and Ryan McHugh. Mogan deservedly got man of the match and was mentioned by RTE co-commentator Eamonn Fitzmaurice as being a shoo-in for an All-Star. He is having a storming season and would be bringing another first for St Naul’s with an All-Star and I would imagine he is the frontrunner for Player of the Year in the Irish News Ulster GAA Awards as well. His interview accepting the Man of the Match award was so polished, what a role model for his club and county.

Mogan hit five points, had a goal saved and also performed very strongly in defence and yet it was probably a close run thing with Ryan McHugh for the man of the match, such was the Kilcar man’s influence on the game. I just wonder who picks the GAA Team of the Week. McHugh didn’t make it and you would have to question the judging panel.

There were other top class performers as well, not least Michael Langan, Ciaran Moore, Caolan McGonagle and Eoghan Ban Gallagher.

We will need all those and more performing at those high levels when we take on Galway on Sunday week. Jim McGuinness will be up against his old friend and college teammate at Tralee IT, Padraic Joyce and he quipped afterwards that he might send a sneaky text to Joyce on Sunday night but then keep things quiet until after the semi-final.

Hopefully on Sunday week around 5.50, the loud speakers will be blaring out Goats Don’t Shave with The Hills of Donegal and not the Saw Doctors with The Joyce Country Ceili Band!

Peadar Mogan in relaxed mood before the game. And what a game he had! Picture: Sportsfile

Donegal v Louth Stats

Donegal scorers: Peadar Mogan 0-5; Oisin Gallen 0-4, 1f; Michael Langan 0-3; Eoghan Ban Gallagher 1-0; Ryan McHugh, Conor O’Donnell, Ciaran Moore, Ciaran Thompson 0-2; Patrick McBrearty 0-1, 1m; Aaron Doherty and Jamie Brennan 0-1 each.

Louth scorers: Sam Mulroy 0-6, 4f; Tommy Durnin 0-4; Ryan Burns and Ciaran Byrne 0-2; Craig Lennon, Conor Early, Liam Jackson and Tom Jackson 0-1 each.

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ciarán Moore, Caolan McGonagle, Ryan McHugh; Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan; Shane O’Donnell, Niall O’Donnell, Daire Ó Baoill; Patrick McBrearty, Oisin Gallen, Conor O'Donnell. Subs: Aaron Doherty for N O’Donnell (half-time), Caolan McColgan for Daire Ó Baoill (45), Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí for C O’Donnell (49), Jamie Brennan for McBrearty (59), Hugh McFadden for S O’Donnell (66)

Louth: Niall McDonnell; Donal McKenny, Dermot Campbell, Dan Corcoran; Conall McKeever, Anthony Williams, Craig Lennon; Tommy Durnin, Bevan Duffy; Ciarán Murphy, Ciarán Keenan, Conor Grimes; Ryan Burns, Sam Mulroy, Leonard Grey. Subs: Conor Early for McKeever (17); Paul Mathews, Tom Jackson and Liam Jackson for Grey, Burns and Murphy (43), Ciarán Byrne for Williams (68), Tadhg McDonnell for Corcoran (70+1)

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan).