A STRONG Dr McKenna Cup campaign can provide the platform for Donegal to climb back to Division One of the National Football League, according to defender Eoghan Ban Gallagher.
After winning the pre-season competition last season, Declan Bonner’s side suffered relegation, through a mix of patchy form and bad luck.
But having bounced back to triumph in the Ulster Championship, Gallagher looks ahead to 2019 with a glass half full, rather than half empty.
“Being Ulster champions, you’d have to say the glass is half full, and from our perspective, it was a positive year,” he said.
“Although we wanted to stay up in Division One, that didn’t happen, but performances on the whole were positive.
“We had a few disappointments in the middle of the way, but near the end and at the start of the league, I thought we performed really well. But ultimately, we did get relegated.
“We have to push on now and aim to get promoted straight away out of Division Two.
“And in the McKenna Cup, Declan sets his stall out at the start of every year to win every game you play, be it challenge games or whatever.
“We went into the McKenna Cup to win it, and we did win it, we went into the Ulster Championship to win it, and we did win it. but obviously we fell short then in the Superb 8s.”
The Killybegs clubman is hoping manager Bonner can discover one or two new talents capable of adding something extra to the squad in the year ahead.
“We need to get a few new players in, it’s very important every year. You see Dublin, they always seem to bring in one or two new players that have a big impact come the championship.
“In my first year, the McKenna Cup gave me my first opportunity to get game time with the seniors. It sets a good platform, gets you out playing games, because games at the end of the day are what everybody is training for.”
Donegal fans are looking forward to the sight of the attacking corner back, in his trademark white boots, setting off on those searing runs into opposition territory in the year ahead.
This supreme athlete could comfortably take on a more offensive position in the team, but he’s happy to sit back and pick his moments to get forward.
“I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but you literally are happy to play wherever you’re put, and I think everybody in the Donegal team is exactly the same.
“But in the modern game now, it’s so fluid, any player could end up anywhere. You see Michael (Murphy) back in the full back like at times, Jamie Brennan the same.
“And Paddy McGrath came up and got a few scores this year, and Stephen McMenamin got in for a few goals chances, so it’s a fluid game and we’re able to play in the defence and the attack.”
Donegal will be without their Gaoth Dobhair contingent for the early part of the season, possibly until after St Patrick’s Day.
The Ulster Club champions will be otherwise engaged as they prepare to enter the All-Ireland series in a semi-final against holders Corofin.
“I think there’s six or seven Gaoth Dobhair fellows now in the Donegal senior team, so it’s a major loss not to have them for the start of the league.
“But the experience it’s going to give to a lot of the boys who are my age at the top of the club scene is fantastic, and for a Donegal team to win the Ulster Club Championship is great. It’s been so long since St Joseph’s won it back in the seventies.
“It’s a big, big statement by them, and I hope they push on now and give the All-Ireland a rattle.”
On the issue of the new rules, Gallagher fears they could backfire by defeating their intended purpose, and making the game even more defensive.
“There’s a few of them I’d agree with, but I think the three hand-pass rule could end up making the game more defensive.
“I think the forward kick pass from sideline balls could make the game a lot more defensive as well, for teams can just bring players right behind the ball. It’s very hard to break down a blanket with just hand-passes.
“But I think the idea of it will force teams to practice their kicking over the pre-season.
“But we’ll just have to see, and hopefully they’ll re-evaluate it after the McKenna Cup and make the right changes before the league.
“I was just thinking about how many of our scores last season came from four or five hand-passes. I think the first goal in the Ulster final was five hand-passes.
“But every team is going to have to adapt. Dublin even play hand-pass football. It’s not to say it’s a negative side of football, but I think every team is going to take a wee while to adapt to it.
“Last year we did try and mix it up with a bit more kicking, but we’re going to have to put a greater emphasis on it again.”
