TONY Blake expects Donegal to have to scrap and fight for every single possession on Sunday when they battle Cavan in the Ulster SFC semi-final.
Declan Bonner's side's aggressive pursuit of Armagh's restarts last time out in Ballybofey yielded spectacular results. That – coupled with Shaun Patton's own kickouts going uncontested - meant Donegal were literally handed a platform for victory by the hapless Orchard County.
Former Tír Chonaill stopper Blake believes Mickey Graham is much too cute to give Donegal such a bank of what he calls “free ball” this time out. But, more crucially, he says, Cavan have the physical presence to go toe to toe with Donegal in the areas Armagh simply couldn't.
And that fact, he explains, makes Sunday's underdogs a very dangerous proposition.
“Armagh probably felt they could sit in, be compact and probably look to absorb the pressure they anticipated Donegal would bring. And then they'd look to hit Donegal on the counter. But it was a very naive approach. I expected a little more from Kieran McGeeney to be honest.
“Donegal couldn't believe their luck. They completely dominated Ethan Rafferty on his kickouts and Shaun was allowed to do what he wanted off his own. Naive is the only way you could describe that. Cavan will have looked at that closely. And at the same time, they'll fancy themselves to be much more physical themselves in that middle third.
“They have big men – big mobile players and we seen that in 2020. There is no doubt that both Shaun and Raymond Galligan are going to be crucial to their sides' fortunes at the weekend. It's an intriguing battle. Galligan is an outfield player that has transitioned back between the posts in the last few years. So he has that side to his game where his kicking is excellent and he can come out and look to get involved in the play.
“Both men have serious range so if Donegal and Cavan do push up it'll be very interesting too see how it plays out. It could be a really exciting game. Still, I don't think Galligan is quite on Patton's level. And I only say that because I feel very few are. Donegal are very fortunate to have Shaun as the sides that will win the big prizes going forward are going to have a goalkeeper that offers much more than what was traditionally expected of them.
“Distance is one thing but it's Shaun's accuracy that really amazes me. Galligan is a free taker so he does have that element to his game. But it's the moving targets that Patton is able to source that really takes your breath away. The amount of work that has to go into that must be extraordinary. Like a golf swing, it has to be a case of repetition, repetition, repetition. It's fascinating to watch him go about his business. Before the ball has even gone wide or over the bar he's already getting another one out in front of him. And it just takes two or three steps back to deliver it up to 70 yards.”
The coals of 2020's shocker at the Athletic Grounds, when Cavan upset the odds in stunning fashion to deny Donegal an historic 'three-in-a-row, will no doubt be raked over in the coming days.
Declan Bonner will insist this week that Donegal have long since parked that disappointment and that it holds little relevance this time out. But Blake, who served under Bonner during his first tenure in the Donegal banisteoir's bib, says it still has to be a very raw nerve with both the management and players. But that isn't such s bad thing ahead of this renewal of acquaintances.
“It was a massive upset, there is no doubt about that. And it is no doubt still very fresh in the players' minds. But this is a semi-final, that's all. Donegal's focus will be on winning the game and progressing into another Ulster decider. But if they can draw any motivation from 2020 then why not. But Cavan are in a very good place. They'll come into the game as underdogs. And that'll suit them just fine. But they won't feel inferior to Donegal and they'll see this as a game they can definitely win.”
