GAA: Brian McEniff is to stay on as manager of Donegal's footballers, despite telling the players of his plans to resign following Saturday's defeat to Fermanagh.
At a meeting of the county board and executive last night - at which he was widely expected to resign - McEniff gave a manager's report in which he stated that he was willing to see out the second year of his two-year contract. The response was a standing ovation.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, McEniff had said: "It's not likely that I will continue. I have intimated as much to my players, but I signed a two-year contract, which has a year left to run. I don't even know if they want me anymore."
This is not the first time McEniff has changed his mind. He stepped in as manager last season and guided Donegal to an All-Ireland semi-final.
It was their best showing since they won the Sam Maguire in 1992, also under his command, but in the aftermath he said a new man would be found.
As county chairman, the Bundoran hotelier took on the task of recruiting a new manager and was adamant that his successor would be a Donegal native. A replacement was not found, so McEniff took on the role once more.
This year, Donegal looked set for another fruitful campaign when they knocked Tyrone out of the Ulster championship at the semi-final stages.
The merits attached to that victory, however, were tarnished by overwhelming defeats to Armagh in the Ulster final and then Fermanagh last Saturday.
"I said after the Tyrone match that we had just played a team that were not going well, neither mentally nor physically," said McEniff. "Too much was read into the victory by the public and the players.
"Then we were well below par against Armagh. The nature of the defeat and the fallout from that game obviously left their scars, but we kicked 19 wides against Fermanagh. That was horrific shooting.."
That "fallout" is a reference to the dismissal of Eamon McGee and Brian McLoughlin from the panel for repeated disciplinary infringements, but McEniff was quick to praise Fermanagh.
"I was down in Croke Park supporting them against Cork," he said. "Credit to Charlie (Mulgrew) and the management. In fact, against Tyrone they were well worth the result. They may not win the All-Ireland, but they are a good side."
The spotlight now inevitably turns to Brendan Devenney's reaction to being dismissed by referee Joe McQuillan for a second yellow card after he tripped his marker off the ball.
Devenney was so incensed by the sending off, at a crucial juncture in the contest, that he pushed the Cavan referee three times before Fermanagh midfielder Martin McGrath guided him away. A one-year ban is expected but McEniff defended his player to the end.
"I'm very sorry about the episode. Brendan attracts a lot of attention, a lot of pulling and dragging from players. He became frustrated.
"Like all corner forwards he doesn't know how to tackle. He was suffering for the sins of other Donegal players who possibly should've been shown cards before that.
"I'm not prepared to prejudge the GAC, but he shouldn't suffer for the sins of every player."
