Football

Donegal's Neil Gallagher ruled out of Dublin clash

Neil Gallagher has been ruled out of Donegal's clash with Dublin on Saturday with injury 
Neil Gallagher has been ruled out of Donegal's clash with Dublin on Saturday with injury  Neil Gallagher has been ruled out of Donegal's clash with Dublin on Saturday with injury 

DONEGAL’S talismanic midfielder Neil Gallagher will play no part in Saturday’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin.

There had been some reports in the county that the Glenswilly giant might be involved at Croke Park this weekend, but manager Rory Gallagher yesterday confirmed he would not be in the panel.

“Neil is still working his way back to fitness but he has not done much training,” he said.

“So getting up to match speed is going to be difficult for him. He is able to do a bit of running.

“We have no casualties, there were a few twinges after the Cork match but nothing too serious. A few of the older brigade had a few twinges.””

Gallagher agreed with a suggestion that the Dubs will be happy his namesake is definitely out.

“Most teams don’t like to play against him because he gives you such a great presence in the middle of the field.

“And that allows you to go route one where you can horse it out and he can win clean ball.

“But if we get over this weekend he should be fit for the next match.

“Neil (right)has a couple of weeks under his belt but has not trained consistently since March and he will not be in the squad for Saturday. But thankfully he is on the mend.”

Just as was the case ahead of the 2014 semi-final, few observers are giving Donegal a chance of upsetting Dublin.

On that occasion Jim McGuinness’s men pulverised the Dubs in a powerful second half display of attacking football.

But Gallagher does not agree that this obvious comparison gives his side any edge.

“It doesn’t matter at all and while it sounds boring, it is no different than looking forward to playing Fermanagh on June 12,” he said.

“Every opponent gets the same respect whether we are favourites or not.

“We have to do our homework on them and we have to produce a top quality performance to give us a chance of winning.

“That does not change just because the fact is that it is Dublin.”

Michael Murphy and James McCarthy were sent off when Donegal played Dublin in the  League and lost a game that Gallagher felt “was there for the taking”.

“It was a game on Easter Saturday night and we were short a couple of defenders and we started Kieran Gillespie and Mark Anthony McGinley and we felt it was a game that was there for the taking even after Michael Murphy went off.

“Himself and James McCarthy went off at the same time and there was a point in it at that stage and we gave away a bad goal.

“Mark was coming out with a ball when they intercepted and they got a cushion.

“But Dublin will always put up a decent score and we are just going to have to put up more scores at the other end.”

Last Saturday’s defeat of Cork has re-ignited confidence in Tir Chonaill.

“I think our confidence has been high for a long period,” said Gallagher.

“We would be very happy with our levels of performance and there are areas of our game that we would like to improve on.

“Throughout the Ulster Championship we did a lot of good things and I suppose our backs were to the wall when we were five points down against Cork.

“There is an element of feeling sorry for yourself after an Ulster final defeat and that is only natural after the set-back in the Ulster final.

“But we would be very pleased with the character of boys who dug it out really well against Cork and put up a big score, the highest points total we have scored in the last six years.”