GAELIC GAMES:DONEGAL HAVE a double agenda going into Sunday's Division Two final against Laois: to sharpen form ahead of their championship opener just three weeks later, and to make amends for the defeat to Laois in the last round. Although not necessarily in that order.
Forward Michael Murphy certainly has no complaints about playing the same opposition again. He didn’t enjoy one of his better days in Portlaoise last Sunday week, and reckons the whole Donegal team feel that performance didn’t reflect their true form, especially with that championship date looming with Antrim on May 15th.
“Losing to Laois the last day was disappointing enough,” says Murphy, “although we were more disappointed with the performance. It is a good Laois side, and they are going well, under new management too, but it’s good to get another game against them, especially so close to the championship.
“It’s also good to get the run in Croke Park, because the way we look at it, it’s all good preparation for the championship. Laois are a very good side, a good system of play in there. They’ve a number of good footballers playing really well at the moment. And they’re able to mix it up, play a long-ball game into the forwards inside, who are very dangerous, but also they can play the short ball game coming out of defence. They’ve a number of very good runners, so we were very impressed with them the last day. Hopefully they’ll give us another good game and stand us in good preparation for the championship.”
Murphy has no doubt the divisional final will only serve them well ahead of the Antrim game, even if it’s close proximity to the championship raises the perils of injury: “Overall it can only help, really. You can train all you want but there’s nothing like the preparation you get from a good game, in Croke Park too. It’s nice to get in there so early in the year.”
Yet like most teams in Division Two, Donegal were never certain of making the final – or indeed gaining promotion to Division One: “Yeah, it was extremely competitive. Every game you went out there was very little in it, no matter what team you were playing. But I suppose a number of people would look at the Tyrone game as a turning point for us.
“We drew with Sligo the week before, and thankfully we got a decent result against Tyrone, and took a bit of confidence from that. Then a couple more good results. So that’s why we were slightly disappointed with our performance against Laois the last day. That something we’re looking to get right the next day, especially with the lead-in to the championship being so early.”
Murphy also highlights another thing Donegal, like most teams, want to get right before the championship – namely adjusting to the continuing uncertainty as to what defines the perfect tackle, or when a legal push becomes an illegal shove.
“Yeah, there were numerous frees the last day,” says Murphy, “and throughout the league really. I don’t know if referees have been told to look out for the tackle issue more this year. For us players we just have to adapt, and see what is legitimate and what is not. But we’ll have to look at it more closely in the championship.
“Some people are saying the physical element is gone. It’s a strange one. That could be levelled at a lot of games in the league. But I suppose they’re trying to keep it disciplined, with a number of teams trying to play this swarm defence, getting as many men behind the ball as possible.
“You have to be disciplined in that sense, and try to pick-pocket them, rather than throw around big hits. Because with the standard of free-takers these days you are going to get punished.”
