The Alternative View: Managing expectation now an issue for Donegal

Donegal got off to the perfect start in  their quest to retain the Ulster senior football championship with 10 points to spare against Derry in sun-drenched MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey on Sunday.

The build-up to the game was almost perfect. The Donegal U-20s took care of business against Tyrone on Wednesday evening and the minors put up a big fight on Saturday in the Ulster Minor League final also against Tyrone, going down by a couple of points.

The team lists were released on Thursday night which gave the supporters plenty to talk about. There was an element of surprise surrounding both the Donegal and Derry named 26 and starting 15. 

Derry were reported to be ravaged by injury yet Brendan Rogers and Lachlan Murray were named to start. And start they did.

On the press release from Donegal there were no surprises until you came to the full-forward line - listed as Niall O'Donnell, Conor O'Donnell and Aaron Doherty. No Oisin Gallen, Jamie Brennan, Patrick McBrearty or Michael Murphy.

We would have to wait until around 1.30 to find out if there would be any changes. Best to get there early and quite a few Donegal supporters were of similar mind. Brendan and Mary McGill were rewarded for arriving early as they were able to find a summer seat and watch the world go by, although Mary was looking more worried about the upsurge in the form of the Cork hurling team ahead of her beloved Clare defending their All-Ireland title.

The rumour mill during the week was dominated by the fitness or otherwise of Michael Murphy and Patrick McBrearty but the arrival on the scene of Mick Murphy left us more at ease. "Michael is fit and ready to go," declared Mick.

With those words, we headed inside in a confident mood. But when the Donegal players came out for a walk-about and later for the warm-up the big question on everyone's lips was: "Where is Patrick McBrearty?"

There was no sign of the Kilcar man after scanning the Donegal lines doing the warm-up. Everyone else seemed to be there.

Next came official word of the starting team and while Derry were fielding as per programme, there were three changes to the Donegal line-out with McBrearty, Michael Murphy and Odhrán McFadden Ferry in from the start.

McBrearty led the team on to the field but while the other starters did the final warm-up McBrearty was engaged in a one-on-one with Antoin McFadden. The Kilcar man, recovering from a calf injury, was being given special treatment - and oh how it worked.

The emphasis now switched to another question. What was wrong with Michael Langan? We would learn afterwards that he picked up a niggle and wasn't chanced.

And that was only the drama before the ball was thrown in by Kildare whistler Brendan Cawley as the clock struck 2 o'clock.

With the sun high in the sky and just over 15,000 inside the ground,  keeping hydrated and  lotion on bared heads was essential. The play on the field in the first 15-20 minutes was cautious with Derry alarmingly finding little pockets in the Donegal defence.

In one of those plays Shane McGuigan took a slight tug and went to ground inside the area. Penalty. The first big turning point. However, the Slaughtneil man, whose form has dipped in the last 12 months, was unable to beat Shaun Patton, who got back up to make an even better stop second time around before the Donegal full-back Cavalry arrived.

Lachlan Murray looked dangerous and was giving Finnbarr Roarty, making his championship debut, some problems. But then Roarty went full-length to block an effort from Ethan Doherty and that lifted the crowd. Later he would emerge with the ball after McGuigan was surrounded.

Donegal would go on their first scoring spree and even though they conceded a goal, Dáire Ó Baoill was sent clear after Ciaran Thompson had outfielded Conor Glass. Ó Baoill had earlier landed a brace of two pointers, one of them from the exact spot where he started his great run of two pointers against the Dubs in the first round of the league. His tally this season so far is eight two pointers.

Playing now with great confidence, the Gaoth Dobhair man sped through the Derry defence and with support from either side, his finish was clinical. Donegal were seven up as they headed to the dressing rooms.

Whatever kick was in this Derry team at present invariably is led by Brendan Rogers and it was no different on Sunday as he pointed and then lofted a two pointer. A further two  pointer from Conor Doherty had the margin down to two.

The bear was poked and Donegal responded with seven points on the trot to put the game to bed. Patrick McBrearty, relatively quiet in the opening half, came to life with six points, a few of them out of the top drawer. Ciaran Moore, Peadar Mogan, Shane O'Donnell, Michael Murphy, Finnbarr Roarty all chipped in. McBrearty was rested after his final score and was given a fantastic reception as he walked off with just under 15 minutes left and the game done and dusted.

There was time to empty the bench with Oisin Gallen and Jamie Brennan getting their names on the scoresheet but probably the most significant introduction was big Jason McGee for the final 10 minutes.

The biggest change to the game under the new enhanced rules is the contested kick-out and the return of McGee (and Langan) will further supplement Donegal in this area, where Ciaran Thompson, Hugh McFadden, Caolan McGonagle and Michael Murphy carried the load on Sunday.

Throughout the National League there were small additions to the rules almost by the week and we saw another of those on Sunday regarding the kick-out mark. The player making the mark doesn't have to put his hand up any more. Once a mark is taken the player in possession cannot be touched  or tackled inside four steps. Donegal benefitted from this rule enhancement on two occasions on Sunday. It makes clean catching very rewarding but seems very harsh to be penalised by 50m for naturally trying to make a tackle.

The final whistle brought a deluge of young supporters onto the pitch and Donegal players were surrounded with Michael Murphy again having the biggest gathering. There was a feel-good and satisfied atmosphere. It was job done.

There were also words of caution  from many long-time observers about the nature of the win and also the quality of the opposition. Derry's goalkeeping struggles continued and it really puts them on the back foot. A below par Conor Glass (who was carrying an injury) didn't help. They are in a rut at the moment and it won't be easy for them with so few leaders.

Donegal got the job done with a couple of great scoring bursts. They have a target on their heads being priced as second favourites for the All-Ireland, something that has never happened before. They will carry the favourites' tag into every game they play this year, bar meeting Kerry. That is the price of having Jim McGuinness as manager plus the return of Michael Murphy.

Expectation will always be there with McGuinness in the hot seat and that is a reflection of how important he is in the whole discussion. Managing that expectation will be easy for the management and players; it may well be a little more difficult for the media and supporters.

Donegal panel members who were not injured and not in the 26 for last weekend's game were allowed to play for their clubs on Saturday evening and that is good for both the morale of clubs and for the players themselves.

In just over a week's time McGuinness will take his charges to St Tiernach's Park, Clones for their second game. Monaghan won Division 2 (just like Donegal did last year) and have a three-week preparation run-in to the game. Everybody expects that it will be a much tougher challenge than that posed by Derry.

Donegal were  good on Sunday but they will have to be  better on Sunday week. 1-25 will probably be the minimum needed. Hopefully, all the niggles will have cleared up and then picking the 26 for the match-day squad will become even more difficult.

Roll on Clones.


Patrick McBrearty was at his brilliant best in the second half Picture: Thomas Gallagher

Match Stats

Donegal 1-25

Derry 1-15

Scorers for Donegal: Daire Ó Baoill 1-4 (2 2pt), Patrick McBrearty 0-7 (3f), Michael Murphy (1f) Ciaran Moore, Peadar Mogan, Shane O’Donnell, Conor O’Donnell 0-2 each, Ryan McHugh, Finnbarr Roarty, Oisin Gallen, Jamie Brennan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Derry:  Brendan Rogers 0-5 (2 2pt), Dan Higgins 1-0, Shane McGuigan 0-4 (4f), Conor Doherty (1 2pt), Lachlan Murray (1f) 0-2 each, Niall Toner, Padraig McGrogan 0-1 each.

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Odhránn McFadden-Ferry; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan; Hugh McFadden, Ciaran Mooire; Daire Ó Baoill, Ciarán Thompson, Shane O'Donnell; Conor O'Donnell, Michael Murphy, Patrick McBrearty. Subs: Mark Curran for McFadden-Ferry (half-time), Oisin Gallen for C O’Donnell (50), Jamie Brennan for McBrearty (57), Jason McGee for McFadden (60), Niall O’Donnell for Roarty (66).

Derry: Neil McNicholl; Diarmuid Baker, Brendan Rogers, Martin Bradley; Conor Doherty, Padraig McGrogan, Eoin McEvoy; Conor Glass, Dan Higgins; Ethan Doherty, Paul Cassidy, Ciarán McFaul; Niall Toner, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray. Subs: Niall Loughlin for Higgins (38), Cahir McMonagle for Toner (51), Patrick McGurk for E.Doherty (57), Declan Cassidy for McGrogan (66).

Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).