THE last time Gaoth Dobhair colossus Neil McGee was in a Donegal jersey, he was wrestling with the even more gargantuan Aidan O’Shea of Mayo.
But with dangerous St Mary’s full-forward Jack Grogan nicking a breakaway goal for the students in the opening half of their Dr McKenna Cup in Letterkenny on Sunday, Donegal Rory Gallagher decided to use some of his A team.
As a result Neil, and Michael Murphy were thrown in to try and win this well contested Dr McKenna Cup tie.
They could easily have settled matters in the third quarter but lack of sharpness meant they spurned 1-5 against a gritty and nippy St Mary’s side.
McGee’s introduction quickly curbed Grogan’s contribution, but the Gaoth Dobhair man was not overly concerned about Sunday’s result.
“It is good to get back in action after being out for a while,” said McGee.
“But I suppose the main thing is giving all these young lads a good run out before the National Football League.
“St Mary’s set up very defensively and were very hard to break down, but we had plenty of chance to win this match but it just did not happen.
“It did not work out for us and those scores might have gone over on another day.
“I was not happy with the result and it is disappointing as we were on top for long periods but just could not put them away.
“They were very well set up and are further down the road than us.
“We will get back to the drawing board and it is better something like this happening now than later on.”
McGee was not long in the action when he picked up a yellow card from busy Derry whistler Dan Mullan who also showed Donegal defender Paddy McGrath a second yellow card in the same incident.
“Yer man came in on Paddy and I came in then and I did not know that Paddy was already booked”.
“But we were a bit exposed on the last goal but the first goal was also a bit of a killer as they were able to sit back and then break in numbers.
“And now we are in a situation where we must beat Fermanagh who beat Down.
“That will be a real derby affair in Enniskillen and we will really need to bounce back from this defeat if we are to progress in this competition.
“But we really should have been four or five points up by the time Paddy McGrath got sent off.
“And then we were all pushed up as they hit us on the break for the second goal.
“The ball came in over the top and I nearly got a foot to it but these things happen.
Looking ahead, he said he was looking forward to playing in Division One of the National Football League.
“That’s where all the top teams are and it is jut the place you would want to be”.
