It's fair to say that not many would have predicted a Donegal versus Kerry All-Ireland SFC final as the 32 teams lined up for the start of the 2014 All-Ireland senior football championship back in May.

2012 champions Donegal looked a spent force following their lack-lustre showing against Monaghan in the Division 2 decider while a Kerry team, minus the considerable services of Colm 'Gooch' Cooper, had diced with relegation from the top flight.

It was said that the Kingdom were a team in transition and expectation wasn't overly high that the current crop could end the county's five-year wait for the Sam Maguire Cup.

But people stood up and took notice of Eamonn Fitzmaurice's side after they downed arch-rivals Cork by 12 points in the Munster SFC final to pick up their 76th provincial clown.

A routine 1-20 to 2-10 quarter-final victory over Galway followed and they moved up through the gears to edge an epic semi-final replay against Connacht champions Mayo in extra-time, 3-16 to 3-13.

The form of injury-plagued midfielder David Moran has helped lay the foundations for the Kingdom's march to the last two while James O'Donoghue has filled the void created by Cooper's absence and kicked 4-24 to date.

Marc O Se, Aidan O'Mahony, Killian Young, Declan O'Sullivan and Kieran Donaghy provide experience in abundance and their supporters will travel the well-worn path to Croker on the third Sunday in September confident of success.

The sideline battle of wits between Fitzmaurice and Jim McGuinness will be worth the admission price alone.

The Donegal man deserves all the plaudits that have come his way since masterminding their shock 3-14 to 0-17 penultimate victory over raging-hot favourites Dublin but he will be the first to point out that they haven't won anything yet.

Last year's 16-point All-Ireland SFC quarter-final capitulation to Mayo has Donegal's primary source of motivation this year.

"The question was 'how do you want to be remembered? Do you want to be remembered for being beaten by 16 points in a quarter-final?' McGuinness asked of his players at the start of the year.

"That was the question that had to be answered. And then it was about what was involved in that and 'are we prepared to do that?'"

His players have answered that question in the best possible fashion and a third Ulster SFC success in four years is testament to the team's character.

They scraped over Ulster rivals Armagh in the last-eight (1-12 to 1-11) but ripped up the form guide when sending Dublin home with the tail between their legs in the semi-final.

Colm McFadden's return to form in front of the posts against the Dubs was an added bonus for McGuinness and his selectors while Ryan McHugh announced his arrival on the big stage with 2-2.

A difficult one to call, the Michael Murphy-captained outfit get a tentative vote to bring Sam back to the hills for the second time in three years.

Verdict - Donegal

Donegal team: Paul Durcan; Eamonn McGee, Neil McGee, Paddy McGrath; Anthony Thompson, Karl Lacey, Frank McGlynn; Neil Gallagher, Odhran MacNiallais; Christy Toye, Leo McLoone, Ryan McHugh; Paddy McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Colm McFadden.

Kerry team:  Brian Kelly; Marc Ó Sé, Aidan O'Mahony, Fionn Fitzgerald; Paul Murphy, Peter Crowley, Killian Young; Anthony Maher, David Moran; Stephen O'Brien, Johnny Buckley, Donnchadh Walsh; Paul Geaney, Kieran Donaghy, James O'Donoghue.

Match details: Sunday, Croke Park, 3.30pm.

Referee: Eddie Kinsella (Laois).

Odds: Donegal 4/6 Draw 8/1, Kerry 13/8.

Tweet

Most Read Stories