Football

Derry may try to shut down Donegal but Tir Chonaill still have too much scoring power

Declan Bonner enjoyed considerable success with Donegal at underage level, and there are signs that could transfer to the senior stage following their victory over Cavan earlier this month. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Declan Bonner enjoyed considerable success with Donegal at underage level, and there are signs that could transfer to the senior stage following their victory over Cavan earlier this month. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Declan Bonner enjoyed considerable success with Donegal at underage level, and there are signs that could transfer to the senior stage following their victory over Cavan earlier this month. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Derry v Donegal (tomorrow, 4pm, Celtic Park)

THE decade since Derry’s last Championship win over Donegal has seen some serious fluctuations in form for these north-west rivals.

That year, 2008, the Oak Leafs headed into summer with a spring in their step having beaten Kerry – All-Ireland finalists that September - in the League final after topping Division One with five wins.

And when Paddy Crozier’s men went into the belly of the beast at Ballybofey and came away with victory, all of a sudden the months ahead looked to be opening up.

With the assembled talents of the Bradley brothers, Enda Muldoon and Conleith Gilligan leading from the front, the possibilities were endless.

Then Fermanagh, out of nowhere, ruined the party before Monaghan finished the job in the Qualifiers.

The 10 years between have been a roller-coaster of inconsistency, from Ulster finals and flying form in the League’s top tier to tumbling through the divisions like an out of control elevator.

Donegal, on the other hand, were embarrassed by Antrim the following year and hit rock bottom with a nine-point hammering at the hands of Armagh in 2010. That day in Crossmaglen proved to be a watershed moment.

Jim McGuinness came in and changed the landscape forever. Ulster titles followed, the All-Ireland in 2012, 20 years since McGuinness himself played a part the last time Sam visited the Hills.

And while the Glenties man moved on to pastures new and the trophy trail dried up, Donegal remain upwardly mobile. Under Declan Bonner who, like McGuinness, enjoyed considerable underage success, they are threatening to rise again.

Of course, many said the same last year, only for a false dawn to darken the day after demoralising defeats to Tyrone and Galway. But now the clutch of young players brought in to such effect during the 2017 National League are a year older, a year wiser and the better for those experiences.

There must still be an element of caution, however, given the nature of their preliminary round victory over Cavan.

Many rated the Breffnimen, so impressive through the spring, a decent shout heading to Ballybofey. How wrong they were.

Donegal won at a canter, barely breaking sweat after a tight enough opening 20. But once they were able to stifle Cavan outside the Tir Chonaill 40, it was one-way traffic.

And that traffic was a joy to watch. Michael Murphy directed operations, starting moves and looping cleverly onto the end of them, while young men like Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan and Jamie Brennan gave an exhibition in long-range shooting.

Derry cannot afford to give them the kind of space afforded by Cavan, who barely laid a glove all day. And the Oak Leafers also cannot expect Paddy McBrearty to have as low key an outing again.

The Kilcar ace squandered two goal chances at Mac Cumhaill Park and looked out of sorts, a burst of four late scores papering over the cracks. But he will go into tomorrow’s game with a bit more fire in the belly as a result.

And he will also go in with the memory of his last encounter with Brendan Rogers still fresh. Not too many get the better of the Slaughtneil man but, in the Ulster Club semi-final last November, McBrearty led Rogers a merry dance.

He walked from the Healy Park pitch defeated but having scored 10 points, five from play, three of which were absolute stunners.

Despite misfiring the last day, Bonner will have been encouraged that the rest of the team stood up and did the business, dismissing any notion of over-reliance on one man.

Cian Mulligan also caught the eye in a 10 minute cameo from the bench, laying on two points for McBrearty and bagging a goal while Gweedore’s outrageously gifted Odhran Mac Niallais could also return to the fold.

These are decent headaches for any manager to have.

Donegal, therefore, are huge favourites for a reason. Five Championship defeats in-a-row since 2008 must sting for their neighbours, and it will be interesting to see how they approach tomorrow’s game.

Throughout the course of the League, Damian McErlain’s first in charge of the county seniors, they played a fairly open style of football and while they racked up some decent scores, it was at the other end where they struggled.

The end result was relegation to Division Four on the final day but, considering there will be such a difference in personnel following the return of the Slaughtneil boys and Sean Leo McGoldrick, it is difficult to read too much into those performances.

And it would be a big surprise if Derry don’t try to shut this game down and keep it as tight as possible in the first half at least.

It is understood they tried out a double sweeper system in a challenge game against Down recently, and any two of Liam McGoldrick, Sean Leo McGoldrick, Padraig Cassidy and Karl McKaigue could fill those roles if McErlain goes for an ultra-defensive plan.

Rogers will pick up McBrearty, Paul McNeill will likely shackle the pacy Jamie Brennan while Chrissy McKaigue could be tasked with curbing the influence of Michael Murphy.

Whether Derry can concoct enough scores to put Donegal on the back foot is the big question. Paddy Bradley finished with 10 points on that fateful day 10 years ago but there is nobody among the current Derry crop capable of such a feat, despite the undoubted attacking talents of men like Mark Lynch and Enda Lynn.

Lynch is likely to be faced by Neil McGee with Eoghan Gallagher on Shane McGuigan while Paddy McGrath, if he starts, could find himself up against Niall Toner, although he could also drop deep.

An intriguing battle awaits, one that may not be just as straightforward as those already prematurely talking up a Monaghan-Donegal Ulster final are predicting.

But it is hard to escape the feeling that, even if Derry do successfully close the game down, Donegal have enough pace and potential from long-range - especially on a nice dry day - to beat the blanket and book a semi-final showdown with Antrim or Down.