Donegal v Fermanagh - Sunday 12th June 2016

[FermPundit]

Could anyone confirm where the South and East Terraces are in MacCumhaill Park? I'm looking for tickets in the terrace opposite the main stand and I'm not sure what its called.

[StephenC]

The east terrace is the one opposite the stand. South is the one behind the goals at the town end.

[FermPundit]

Thanks for the clarification.

On paper you'd think Donegal should be winning this game pretty easily, however Fermanagh have a good record against Donegal and will go into the game as underdogs, just the tag Fermanagh enjoy.

I think Fermanagh might have a slight edge at midfield with Eoin Donnelly probably being the best midfielder in Ulster at the moment. I worry if Fermanagh will get enough scores. Quigley will probably roam out the field leaving Tomas Corrigan inside but he'll be a well marked man.

Should be a pretty close game all considered. Fermanagh were competitive in the league and are now well used to playing stronger teams so they'll fancy their chances of causing an upset.

[J70]

Donegal are a bit of an unknown quantity at the moment. They've been poor and lost their last five games, albeit two of them being Dublin, and the others Kerry, Riscommon and Monaghan. With the exception of the Ros game, those would all have been games Donegal would have been expected to lose and there wouldn't have been too many eyebrows raised had the same league results (3 wins, 5 losses)  been achieved in a different sequence. However, they did squander a seven point lead against Monaghan and got involved in a spiteful, petty series of incidents against Kerry.

We still have some top drawer players such as Murphy, Neil McGee, Ryan McHugh and very decent supporting players such as McBrearty, MacNiallais, McLoone, McGlynn, McGrath, Mark McHugh etc. However, the rest are a bunch of lads edging over the hill (Lacey, Eamonn McGee, Kavanagh, Toye Colm McFadden etc.) and unproven (Eoin McHugh, O'Connor,  Hugh McFadden, Eamon Doherty) or average players at this level ( McElhinney etc)

Midfield is a huge concern. The loss of Durcan is massive. We struggled massively on kick outs in the league and he was arguably the best around along with Cluxton. That Rory Kavanagh was brought out of retirement to slot straight into midfield tells a lot. Neil Gallagher has hardly kicked a ball for Donegal this year and may not be fit at all for this game ( Murohy got injured recently too, but there's been little word, so presumably he will be fit).

This reminds me of 2000: upcoming Fernanagh team traveling up to play aging Donegal side, albeit your superstar forward is now on the Donegal line. But Quigley looks well capable of rattling off a large score like Rory used to, although it's obviously a little more difficult these days with blanket defenses. But I'm very nervous about this one - have absolutely no idea what to expect, except that Fermanagh will be coming with a spring in their step. What I don't want to see is the same old older players dominating the line-out. We've had a few decent underage teams recently - time to introduce a few of them to championship football. If that means via the qualifiers, so be it.

[FermGael]

Our superstar forward who is now on the line ?
Sure that fellas a cavan man .......

[Farrandeelin]

I hope that this game is a tight game, as the championship needs it. All the other games that were televised so far have been damp squibs. It should be, because Fermanagh have a game under their belts already, however Donegal will be favourites for being in Division 1 earlier in the year.

[Syferus]

Donegal are a bit of an unknown quantity at the moment. They've been poor and lost their last five games, albeit two of them being Dublin, and the others Kerry, Riscommon and Monaghan. With the exception of the Ros game, those would all have been games Donegal would have been expected to lose and there wouldn't have been too many eyebrows raised had the same league results (3 wins, 5 losses)  been achieved in a different sequence. However, they did squander a seven point lead against Monaghan and got involved in a spiteful, petty series of incidents against Kerry.

We still have some top drawer players such as Murphy, Neil McGee, Ryan McHugh and very decent supporting players such as McBrearty, MacNiallais, McLoone, McGlynn, McGrath, Mark McHugh etc. However, the rest are a bunch of lads edging over the hill (Lacey, Eamonn McGee, Kavanagh, Toye Colm McFadden etc.) and unproven (Eoin McHugh, O'Connor,  Hugh McFadden, Eamon Doherty) or average players at this level ( McElhinney etc)

Midfield is a huge concern. The loss of Durcan is massive. We struggled massively on kick outs in the league and he was arguably the best around along with Cluxton. That Rory Kavanagh was brought out of retirement to slot straight into midfield tells a lot. Neil Gallagher has hardly kicked a ball for Donegal this year and may not be fit at all for this game ( Murohy got injured recently too, but there's been little word, so presumably he will be fit).

This reminds me of 2000: upcoming Fernanagh team traveling up to play aging Donegal side, albeit your superstar forward is now on the Donegal line. But Quigley looks well capable of rattling off a large score like Rory used to, although it's obviously a little more difficult these days with blanket defenses. But I'm very nervous about this one - have absolutely no idea what to expect, except that Fermanagh will be coming with a spring in their step. What I don't want to see is the same old older players dominating the line-out. We've had a few decent underage teams recently - time to introduce a few of them to championship football. If that means via the qualifiers, so be it.

It's a sad day when a Donegal buck is saying they're expected to be losing to Monaghan.

Donegal as good a chance as any of the four contenders in Ulster. Difference is Donegal the only ones who won't have the luxury of a turkey shoot before the semi-finals.

[J70]

Donegal are a bit of an unknown quantity at the moment. They've been poor and lost their last five games, albeit two of them being Dublin, and the others Kerry, Riscommon and Monaghan. With the exception of the Ros game, those would all have been games Donegal would have been expected to lose and there wouldn't have been too many eyebrows raised had the same league results (3 wins, 5 losses)  been achieved in a different sequence. However, they did squander a seven point lead against Monaghan and got involved in a spiteful, petty series of incidents against Kerry.

We still have some top drawer players such as Murphy, Neil McGee, Ryan McHugh and very decent supporting players such as McBrearty, MacNiallais, McLoone, McGlynn, McGrath, Mark McHugh etc. However, the rest are a bunch of lads edging over the hill (Lacey, Eamonn McGee, Kavanagh, Toye Colm McFadden etc.) and unproven (Eoin McHugh, O'Connor,  Hugh McFadden, Eamon Doherty) or average players at this level ( McElhinney etc)

Midfield is a huge concern. The loss of Durcan is massive. We struggled massively on kick outs in the league and he was arguably the best around along with Cluxton. That Rory Kavanagh was brought out of retirement to slot straight into midfield tells a lot. Neil Gallagher has hardly kicked a ball for Donegal this year and may not be fit at all for this game ( Murohy got injured recently too, but there's been little word, so presumably he will be fit).

This reminds me of 2000: upcoming Fernanagh team traveling up to play aging Donegal side, albeit your superstar forward is now on the Donegal line. But Quigley looks well capable of rattling off a large score like Rory used to, although it's obviously a little more difficult these days with blanket defenses. But I'm very nervous about this one - have absolutely no idea what to expect, except that Fermanagh will be coming with a spring in their step. What I don't want to see is the same old older players dominating the line-out. We've had a few decent underage teams recently - time to introduce a few of them to championship football. If that means via the qualifiers, so be it.

It's a sad day when a Donegal buck is saying they're expected to be losing to Monaghan.

Donegal as good a chance as any of the four contenders in Ulster. Difference is Donegal the only ones who won't have the luxury of a turkey shoot before the semi-finals.

Sad perhaps, but utterly based in reality. We've a horrible record against Monaghan. Not saying they are (or more correctly, have been) a better team - our overall records over the past five years prove we have been the better team in recent times. However, they're a very awkward match-up for Donegal (and traditionally have been - e.g. 1995 meeting when, after we'd beaten AI champions Down in the preliminary round, Monaghan hammered us in Ballybofey before disappearing off the face of the earth again). It happens in sports. Same as when they repeatedly lose to Tyrone, even when they've probably been the superior team overall. In the championship, we've beaten Tyrone four out of four times since 2011. Tyrone have beaten Monaghan (I think) three out of four times in the same period, when Monaghan have two Ulster titles and Tyrone none. Monaghan have beaten us two out of three meetings in that time. Its all about match-ups. And our side is only getting older.

[Farrandeelin]

Yea, I have relations in Donegal and they said to me once that Monaghan always best us. I never paid much attention to it at the time, but as J70 points out, Monaghan are Donegal's bogey team. That happens in sport.

[Maguire01]

Donegal are a bit of an unknown quantity at the moment. They've been poor and lost their last five games, albeit two of them being Dublin, and the others Kerry, Riscommon and Monaghan. With the exception of the Ros game, those would all have been games Donegal would have been expected to lose and there wouldn't have been too many eyebrows raised had the same league results (3 wins, 5 losses)  been achieved in a different sequence. However, they did squander a seven point lead against Monaghan and got involved in a spiteful, petty series of incidents against Kerry.

We still have some top drawer players such as Murphy, Neil McGee, Ryan McHugh and very decent supporting players such as McBrearty, MacNiallais, McLoone, McGlynn, McGrath, Mark McHugh etc. However, the rest are a bunch of lads edging over the hill (Lacey, Eamonn McGee, Kavanagh, Toye Colm McFadden etc.) and unproven (Eoin McHugh, O'Connor,  Hugh McFadden, Eamon Doherty) or average players at this level ( McElhinney etc)

Midfield is a huge concern. The loss of Durcan is massive. We struggled massively on kick outs in the league and he was arguably the best around along with Cluxton. That Rory Kavanagh was brought out of retirement to slot straight into midfield tells a lot. Neil Gallagher has hardly kicked a ball for Donegal this year and may not be fit at all for this game ( Murohy got injured recently too, but there's been little word, so presumably he will be fit).

This reminds me of 2000: upcoming Fernanagh team traveling up to play aging Donegal side, albeit your superstar forward is now on the Donegal line. But Quigley looks well capable of rattling off a large score like Rory used to, although it's obviously a little more difficult these days with blanket defenses. But I'm very nervous about this one - have absolutely no idea what to expect, except that Fermanagh will be coming with a spring in their step. What I don't want to see is the same old older players dominating the line-out. We've had a few decent underage teams recently - time to introduce a few of them to championship football. If that means via the qualifiers, so be it.

It's a sad day when a Donegal buck is saying they're expected to be losing to Monaghan.

Donegal as good a chance as any of the four contenders in Ulster. Difference is Donegal the only ones who won't have the luxury of a turkey shoot before the semi-finals.

Unlikely to have a turkey shoot, but who knows? And whether a turkey shoot is a luxury is debatable. A good challenge is likely to be much more beneficial ahead of a semi-final.

[StephenC]

So it's confirmed that Big Neil Gallagher is out for Sunday. I really doubt we'll see much from Neil all year. He's hardly kicked a ball in 2016 for club or county.

[FermGael]

So to Sunday.
The best thing to come out of Belleek since the road to Fundoran gets a chance to put one over his native county.

I think we have a definite advantage around the middle but there is no way Donegal are going to kick the ball down Donnelly's throat.

Its imperative that Fermanagh get the match ups right. 
I wonder with Gallagher now being out will Donegal play Murphy out around the middle?
I hope they do because a full forward line of him and McBrearty  would be hard to handle.
Quigley has been excellent all year as a target man and a play maker. Quite a few teams have played sweepers against us this year and Quigley has occupied the sweeper leaving room for Corrigan inside.  But then again I except Donegal to play several sweepers and run from deep. 
I except Tomas Corrigan to get one of the Magee's for company which means he might not get as much change as he got against the Antrim full back line.
Defensively we have been excellent but we face a totally different challenge on Sunday.  We will be defensively set up I would say and will try and hit Donegal on the counter.
We have a bench this year and it will be needed on Sunday.
Ballybofey has been a happy hunting ground for Fermanagh teams in the past 
Hopefully we can provide the first big shock of the year.
Then again we might just get hammered

Lads is Gallagher under any pressure up there?

[Emmett]

Donegal will obviously be a force in Ballybofey but I feel this will be the first Championship match of the year to be in the melting pot with 10 minutes to go. Fermanagh have a settled side with everyone knowing what their job is and guaranteed to give 100%. We have 3/4 genuinely top quality footballers who if on form will make us a match for Donegal.

It is very hard to gauge where Donegal are at based on the league performances. Very poor towards the end of the campaign which could mean their legs are going/hunger is no longer there or it could simply just mean they had achieved the goal of maintaing Division one status and turned attention to the championship.

Midfield could be an area Fermanagh have success with if we can put the squeeze on the kickouts and force them to kick long as much as possible. As FermGael mentioned, it would be a bonus if Murphy is deployed in midfield as it would take away from their scoring threat.

Hopefully the rain stays away and we have a free flowing match with plenty of scores but I feel it is more likely to be a tight and cagey affair.

[J70]

If I was Fermanagh, I would push up on the Donegal kick out and makes us go long, especially with Big Neil out. We were horrible on the kick out and in midfield during the league. Doubt if that could be sorted so quickly.

[Fuzzman]

I think Fermanagh will find this game a lot tougher than they imagine. Donegal might not have the youth and energy of 3 or 4 years ago but they still have a very well oiled system which if you remember last year beat Tyrone with a bit to spare. In their own back yard they are still a formidable side with some new young lads coming through from U21s. I think that they had no interest in doing well in the national league as they didn't want the extra matches against Dublin and Kerry.
I think we are seeing more and more this year that the teams who have been playing this brand of defensive football were they suck you in and then break at pace is beating teams who would normally put up a decent showing. Donegal have been at this since McGuinness's days and so they are much further down the line at it than Fermanagh are. I think Fermanagh v Cavan would be a much more close affair but Donegal will have too many scoring threats who are used to beating a defensive system.

I would imagine with the miles they have on the clock they were happy to lie in the long grass waiting for June & July to come along but should they lose they might even prefer a run in the qualifiers as a semi final v Monaghan and a final v Tyrone will be tough matches before an AI quarterfinal.