Mac's View: Donegal result in Galway nothing to get overly worried about

Conditions were just terrible in Pearse Stadium in Salthill on Sunday and I wouldn’t be overly concerned with the result. It was just one of those days that you get on the western seaboard where football is just almost impossible.

I remember playing a few league games down in Glencolmcille in the past and the weather would not have been too dissimilar.

I wasn’t overly anxious after we failed to pick up any league points. It wasn’t a great contest but you could plainly see that Galway were that bit more physical than us. They have a good side and they were also keener to win than we were. The advent of the two pointers made the final result look much wider than it really was.

On Sunday next we host Derry in Fr Tierney Park, Ballyshannon and with Derry sitting on the mouth of relegation, that will be a much more interesting contest.

When you add in that the sides are due to meet in the championship five weeks later it could be a very mouthwatering game. No one likes coming to the Fr Tierney Park in Ballyshannon. It is a sort of foreboding pitch, situated up on the Rock.

Looking at the league in overall terms, we should be very happy with where we are. One or two more points would be good enough to ensure we stay in the top flight and I would not be looking to get to the league final given the close proximity of the league final to the championship, with just one week between them.

On Sunday we struggled at times. Young Oisin Gallen didn’t play as well as he might and our own Jamie Brennan was in on goal a few times and we will have to try to place balls when we get in that position.  Eoghan Bán (Gallagher) also had an opportunity.

We don’t score many goals here in Donegal and it has been a difficulty which we have going back for years. Even if you go back to the 1992 All-Ireland, we secured  it with points. We are not a goalscoring county; it is just not in our locker that we go for goals.

I would like to compliment Gaoth Dobhair man Dáire Ó Baoill on his ability to take the two pointers; he did it against Dublin and again on Sunday against Galway and was unlucky not to get a third as the ‘keeper got a touch to it before it went over.

I got the feeling that our management were not overly concerned with the result. They looked calm on the sideline and given the conditions it was a day for learning about small things.

Young Mark Curran at corner-back came out of the contest with credit, he was one of the few who had the intensity and was able to turn over ball.

But overall it was a difficult day for those squad members trying to make an impression because of the conditions. I was glad that Michael Murphy didn’t travel because at his age the overnight stay and those conditions he would have needed like a hole in the head.

It is obvious that Galway are a good team and they are going to be thereabouts this year. They were beaten All-Ireland finalists last year and they will be a last four team this year. They were missing Paul Conroy and John Daly and if they can get Damien Comer fit they would talk to anyone.

I was looking at Shane Walsh on TV after the game and he’s taller than I thought he was. He has just about everything in his locker. He is similar to David Clifford, who we watched in the earlier game on TV on Sunday. They are quality players. I see Dublin were able to bring in Con O’Callaghan against Derry. It is going to be a good year for forwards with the new rules.

The weather for this weekend is predicted to be much improved so Sunday’s game in Ballyshannon against Derry should be a good game. I can’t see Derry not going for it and trying to stay in Division 1. And I can’t see Donegal backing down

I feel it is important that Michael Murphy gets some more game time this weekend. After this round of games the Football Review Committee (FRC) have to sit down to decide on the new rules and it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

It looks as if there will be a full house in Ballyshannon and I’m really looking forward to it.

The last time these sides met in Ballyshannon saw Derry being relegated and a week later we went to Cork for the ill-fated league game in Pairc Ui Chaoimh which was postponed at the last minute.

I was talking to the Cork man who was pulling the strings back then, Frank Murphy, at the annual Congress in Donegal Town last week and he is still going strong. Talking of Congress, congratulations to the Four Masters club on the organisation of the event, which was top class.

Heartiest congratulations to Mickey McCann and the hurlers and their big win over Kerry on Sunday, probably their best ever result. There was no shortage of goals in O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny. They will get another  stern test this weekend when they travel to play Kildare in Newbridge

Fair play to the Ladies also on their draw with Roscommon and they are wished well against Galway on Sunday in Ballybofey.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell