GAELIC GAMES:Well something had to give. Two teams with lamentable records in Croke Park came to town yesterday for a battle between two Davids, staged while the supposed Goliaths of the game rest up for high summer.
Donegal put an end to a long run of losing appearances in finals of all sorts. Mayo sling-shotted themselves to the now customary graceful defeat. Thus another National Football League ended.
It wasn't a bad way to go out. It was easy when referee John Bannon signalled eight minutes of injury-time to make little jokes about giving both sides a fair crack at losing and somehow it was less surprising that it was Donegal who pulled away in that appendix to the game. It was a decent afternoon of football, though, and Mayo left for home with the consolation that they have better in them.
Donegal have played in three losing league finals since they won that historic All-Ireland 15 years ago and on the day it seemed their hunger had a keener edge. They led from early on when their diminutive centre forward Brian Roper gave them a quick two- point lead. They would be hauled back finally towards the end of normal time but they had enough saved up then for a big finish.
When it was over Donegal celebrated with the exuberance that has been their happy trademark and their occasional downfall. Croke Park had taken novel new measures to keep people off the field at the end and stewards held up orange fencing to protect the sward. So Donegal accepted the cup and the cheers and took the cup to the people, doing a longer lap of honour than any All-Ireland has ever been celebrated with.
The Donegal folk in the crowd of just under 30,000 gave back the love. News of Celtic's league title win in Scotland added a dreamlike quality to the afternoon for those who had travelled.
And afterwards when they gathered under the Hogan Stand to reflect on their glory there were vows that the reflection would be brief. The county's second ever national title must be swiftly forgotten about. Armagh are too Goliath-like to hide in the long grass but they will be happily measuring out ever gill of Donegal's celebrations like traffic cops with new breathalysing equipment. Armagh travel to Ballybofey on the last Sunday in May. Indeed they travel with their bonnets as warm with bees over the fixture being shunted back to Ballybofey in the first place. Danger there.
Still, there's an earnestness about Donegal which one hopes won't be shattered by springtime success. More than that Brian McIver's team have taken Donegal away from the image we traditionally have of them of small, handy, addicted to handpassing and lager. McIver, who came down like a fire and brimstone preacher on the latter trait near the start of his reign, was generous in his praise for his side.
"I'm delighted for the players," said McIver, "this is a reward for the commitment of all the team. Yeah, I know that in Donegal they traditionally get a bad press but we know that Armagh are waiting and they will be a different prospect. We'll be ready."
Mayo will contemplate how their finishing failed to fit with their approach play when they got to grips with midfield. Donegal, two points ahead at the break, allowed Mayo to get back to grips in the game despite the westerners scoring only once from play in the second half.
Four Conor Mortimer frees were eventually supplement by Andy Moran's point on the hour. Typical, perhaps, of the poignant way things break for Mayo, Moran's point should really have been a goal, a high diagonal ball having dropped over Thomas Donaghue's head and into Moran's welcoming arms. A goal would have put Mayo two points ahead.
Instead, with the sides level, Donegal came to. Three subs did the damage. Rory Kavanagh, a blood sub for wounded captain Neil Gallagher scored the first; Eamon McGee added a second, his score an extraordinary point; and finally Adrian Sweeney wrapped up business.
Sweeney, like Roper, is one of Donegal's veteran servants and has come off the field with a loser's medal in many finals played with Donegal.
He was keen, as was Roper to pay tribute to those who had gone before. "I'm thinking now of fellas like Shane Carr and Damien Diver who haven't given up long and were there for a lot of bad years. Maybe this will be hard for them to watch but it's theirs as much as it's ours. Fellas I played with for 10 or 11 years. This is for them too."
As Sweeney spoke, Donegal's celebrations were still erupting on the field. Kevin Cassidy, one of the victims of the early temperance drive by McIver and a player who spent last summer in America leaned against a wall and took a draught of success.
"Unbelievable. I was always hoping to get back on to the county team. I never really thought we'd be winning a national title so soon. I just wanted to get back. We're not done yet either."
For both sides that was the motif of the aftermath.
