DONEGAL TACTICAL TAKE
IT would have been very easy to lose the heads early on as Fermanagh held them scoreless in the opening quarter.
Donegal did take on some rash shots from distance as they sought to grab a foothold in this game but there was never a sense of real panic.
At times you felt they could have moved the ball into the forwards more quickly but, facing a difficult breeze, they remained patient and worked their chances.
Michael Murphy operated more around the middle, given that the direct option into him was rarely going to be an option as a result of Fermanagh’s packed defence. Instead Donegal worked the ball to the flanks where runners, including Murphy, could loop around and pick up possession at pace.
After the break, with the wind at their backs, those long-range shots were sailing between the posts, with the excellent Jamie Brennan, Ciaran Thompson, Murphy and Paddy McBrearty in particular taking advantage.
FERMANAGH TACTICAL TAKE
THERE were no surprises as to how Fermanagh set up against Donegal. Within the opening seconds, every single Fermanagh player had retreated into his own 45-metre line. The idea was to entice Donegal into the tackle, strip them of possession and break at pace. It worked in the early stages and they fashioned a two-point lead after 11 minutes, but you’ll rarely score enough to win big games. Too much has to go right for this to be successful and the problems become glaring when you fall behind. Conall Jones is a fine score-taker but he wasn’t played in the scoring zone at any time and the fact the management team re-introduced Daniel Teague is perhaps a sign they don’t have many game-changers in reserve.
KEY BATTLE
Michael Murphy (Donegal) v Che Cullen (Fermanagh)
CULLEN barely out a foot wrong all day, but Murphy is just such a force of nature that, even when being tightly marked, he still comes out on top. Drifted around midfield, dropped back around the full-back line to get Donegal moving and came to the fore in the second half as the Tir Chonaill men managed to engineer a bit of space. Landed two superb second half points to give his side a bit of breathing room.
REF WATCH
Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
KEPT a good lid on things. Showed Ryan Jones a yellow card for getting in the face of Patrick McBrearty after a couple of early misses, and took the sting out of a couple of other potential flashpoints. Many felt Paddy McGrath was lucky to walk away with a yellow after catching Conall Jones high in the second half but, from our vantage point, it looked as though he probably got that call right.
TOP SCORE
THERE was some debate in the press box over Michael Murphy’s influence in yesterday’s tie. Some thought he had a subdued game. We beg to differ. When Donegal needed him, Murphy made the difference. His 39th minute point was not only breathtaking, but crucial to the winning of the game. He pulled Che Cullen out to the flank before timing his arced run and firing over from 45 metres out. Scores from distance were always going to be decisive for Donegal – and Murphy’s was an absolute peach.
TURNING POINT
DONEGAL’S first point came in the 17th minute and it was arguably the turning point of the game. Fermanagh’s gameplan was working in the early stages. They’d bagged two early points and forced Donegal into countless errors in the scoring zone. But once Jamie Brennan finished off a patient move in the 17th minute, Donegal relaxed and it also gave them confidence that they could go into crowded areas and unpick the Fermanagh defence and score. Had Donegal been made to wait any longer for their first score it might have been a different story. Brennan’s first point set them free.
