McNulty: 'To see the effort these players give every week, I could never fault them'

Donegal manager John McNulty said he couldn’t be prouder of the belief and fight that his side brought to Cavan on Saturday afternoon as they saw off a fancied Kildare side in a senior relegation play-off, which sees Donegal stay in the top flight for another year. 

Despite losing by a point at half-time, Donegal came out fighting as they took the lead and kept Kildare scoreless for 22 minutes in the second half which resulted in McNulty’s side leaving Breffni Park with a one-point win on a 0-9 to 0-8 point scoreline.  

“I’m very happy with the performance today and more importantly that we got the win because it was vital for us to stay in the senior championship considering the girls had a very good year and put in so much work,” said McNulty after the match. 

“I thought the girls showed massive character, especially in the second half in those 22 minutes when we kept Kildare scoreless. I think we should’ve been further ahead because we missed a few chances, which was disappointing, but in saying that, we defended really well and we have become much better as a unit.” 

Despite having a young side, McNulty’s troops have put in some stellar performances throughout the championship season, and while the results may not have fallen their way, the Donegal manager believes it instills a lot of learning for this team and will pay off in the future. 

“I think apart from the Waterford game, we really put it up to the best teams in the country, so it was important for them to focus on what a good team we are and bring that in against Kildare, who are a very good side and recently won Division 2, so we knew we needed to put in a big performance, and the girls did that,” he said. 

Overall, he believes they have only gotten better game on game. 

“We now have an understanding of each other, which takes time. Against Kildare in Letterkenny back in January, it was very early into our season and it was going to take time to reach the levels we wanted the girls to reach, but we got there today with how comfortable we were on the ball and getting forward. 

“We got a lot of joy out of our game today. We created chances, some we didn’t take but thankfully we got enough on the board to win the game. 

I think we have to take our previous results on board. Armagh won Ulster, Kerry were in the All-Ireland final, and Kildare won Division 2, whereas we stayed in Division 2, so it was always a big ask for us in these games but we always believed we could compete with these teams. 

“Against Waterford, I think we just didn’t show up that day, and that sometimes happens, it left us disappointed because we didn’t get to the All-Ireland quarter-final, but we had two weeks to prepare for Kildare and I’m just happy to get out of here today with a win.” 

While talking about the team going forward, McNulty feels Donegal football is in a strong place, with his side only going to get better and wiser as players, while also emphasising the effort the team has put in since he arrived on the scene as Donegal manager last winter. 

“We talk about transition, it’s a big word, but it’s a very true word. You look at all the players we took in this season to what is a big step up from underage and club football,” McNulty admitted.  

“It’s a different level, and for the girls to get to that level, I have to say, it makes me happy. To see the effort these girls give for Donegal every week, you couldn’t fault that effort. 

“The players are pushing each other all the time and that brings great energy to a panel. I couldn’t be prouder of the way they perform. They’ve all become better players this year too and I would like them to go back to their clubs and bring that quality into their club championship.”