Donegal did the business for those who favoured them but the London and Leitrim draw confounded everyone.
Just the two games in the senior football Championship this weekend as we gear up for a monster 10 next week (win tickets to those games here) and both games were intriguing in their own way.
First off let’s look at Donegal’s win over Down. Everyone, including eircom tipsters Mickey Harte, Donie Shine and Michael Murphy (unsurprisingly) went for the All-Ireland champs and in the end they prevailed by three points.
It was a game that wasn’t the prettiest of watches but there was something compelling about the intensity and physicality of the contest. Down, lest we forget, were a Division 1 team last year too and they have a team packed with big men like Ambrose Rogers and Calum King. In terms of fitness and physique, they were more than capable of going toe-to-toe with Jim McGuinness’s men.
But it was that extra sprinkling of quality that Donegal have that sealed the deal in Cavan. Colm McFadden and Michael Murphy combined for 0-10 of the teams 0-12 and the former showed his class again with some brilliantly taken scores under intense pressure.
At the other end Down were able to work the ball close to goal but they had nobody to pull the trigger and take the shot with the confidence of Donegal. It took them almost 25 minutes to score from play and not only was it their first from open play, it was their first shot from open play.
Defensively James McCartan’s side had tightened up and changed their style completely from the open clash with Derry and restricting Donegal to just a dozen points was an achievement. Unfortunately that ploy robbed them of the resources to score at the other end.
McGuinness will be pleased to get past this hurdle and into another Ulster final. He finished the match without Karl Lacey and Neil Gallagher (didn’t start), Frank McGlynn and Ryan Bradley (injury), and Paddy McBrearty and Leo McLoone (subbed off). To get past as formidable a side as Down with that many marquee names out for one reason or another has to be a massive positive for Donegal.
As for Leitrim’s clash with London our experts were split while we went for a Leitrim win but Eircom’s game is called ‘Win, Lose or Draw’ and we forgot about option three.
With little to chose between the sides the draw should have entered our thinking and based on what we saw, it seemed like the right result. London supporters may worry that they left it behind them in Carrick, and they will definitely bemoan the fact that they won’t host the replay in Ruislip (it’s Dr Hyde Park), but Paul Coggin’s side must know now they are well capable of beating Leitrim and that gives them a huge boost for the replay.
As for Leitrim, the extent of Emelyn Mulligan’s injury could determine their hopes next week. It will be tight so we will definitely consider the draw option next time.
And getting the predictions right could well get you to Croke Park for the All-Ireland Final. Thanks to the generous folk at Eircom, if your own predictions prove on the money you can win yourself a pair of All-Ireland Final tickets through the Win, Lose or Draw game on the Experience More website and you can also pit your wits against the lads in JOE Towers as well as fellow JOE readers in the JOE league.
