Well I hoped and prayed I'd never have to endure what I am this morning. The most gut wrenching sense of disappointment around work. Jimmy McGuinness himself would have trouble motivating us today I'd say. I'm not going to analyse the game to death or anything but just a few points I'd make.

- Kerry's tactics were spot on. They played defensively as expected but unlike Armagh they have a bit more cutting edge up front. Couple that with the uncharacteristic error which led to the second goal and it just wasn't going to be our day.

- Maybe if we had gone a bit more attacking and direct a wee bit sooner we could have pulled it out of the fire. McBrearty looked very dangerous when we got good early ball in.

- While I was incensed at what Keane did at the time I can understand it fully. If the roles were reversed and McFadden did the samne and us ahead, I wouldn't give a fiddlers.

- I think it was quite possible that I was technically dead for a few seconds as my heart stopped with the goal chance near the end. Would we have deserved a draw? Maybe not but there was a heartbreaking fleeting moment of hope which ultimately lost way to despair and at that moment we knew that was that.

- Good luck to Kerry and enjoy your celebrations. I still feel that if we met 10 times we could possibly beat you 4 0 r 5 times. But it doesn't work like that. It's all on the day and yesterday your boys were that wee bit better and cuter than ours.

- What happens next for Donegal? The coming weeks and months will be interesting. We could possibly lose Gallagher, Toye, McFadden, Kavanagh etc not to mention the great man himself. Those guys owe us nothing. To a man they have represented our great county with pride and distinction. They have improved the morale of the people here ten fold in the last 4 years. All we can do is thank them and wish them well in whatever decision they come to. But there is hope for the future also. Hopefully the minors can push on and feed the senior team eventually. We had lads like MacNiallais and Ryan McHigh really step up this year. Mark will hopefully be back next year also so we can look ahead with optimism.

Now I'm away for a full Irish in the canteen and going to try and avoid the forum for a while... :-(

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9116 - 22/09/2014 11:01:23    1655095

I understand your pain, From the enormous high of 3 weeks ago, To see your team then fall at the final... awful..

But cmere, Get back on the horse and get over it. The next few days will be hard but you are, or at least you should be, Very proud of this Donegal team.

Dont stay away for too long.

PS, What the hell you doing in work ?

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 22/09/2014 11:07:27    1655106

Great post

Listen you never lost one before

Now you know how it feels - makes the ones you won even more special doesn't it!

All the best to you and the Donegal support

But you have had so much good days over the last few years - best to think about them this week!

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 22/09/2014 11:08:14    1655108

Hard luck lockjaw, you don't need to tell me how you feel today. But in fairness you were probably due to lose one. That is part and parcel of competing at the top table. If you don't lose some, then you wont ever win some. You will get people sniping at you over the next while, driven by some ulterior motive, but let it wash over you. Your team has done you proud over the last 4 years.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 22/09/2014 11:10:01    1655110

Chin up lockjaw, at least we didnt disgrace ourselves. We got to a final and beat dublin on the way. We won ulster. It could be a time of transition for donegal now. I dont like using the word, but i feel that there are lads who cant give any more and have done us proud. It is a time to take a break from football for a few months. It seems like a long time ago since the mckenna cup.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 22/09/2014 11:10:51    1655111

Worst feeling in the world Lockjaw and its a long old journey home. I still think Donegal left that one behind yesterday, thats not a vintage Kerry by any stretch of the imagination, and theres probably a lot of regret among that squad today. Still think Donegal will remain a power in Ulster for a few years yet but on the national stage, I'm not so sure.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 22/09/2014 11:19:18    1655119

There's plenty more to come from that Donegal side imo.

Head up lad, it is football at the end of the day.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13705 - 22/09/2014 11:21:33    1655123

Welcome to the club Lockjaw....BUT it can't be all that bad. You have witnessed your county win Sam only two years ago and back in 92. Loosing a final is terrible and I personally took last year very badly but time is a healer and 2015 is only 16 weeks to start time again.

Hard luck Dongeal.

P.S - I agree with wayno...in work today, what the hell? Even I am off work.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11227 - 22/09/2014 11:27:02    1655135

brendtheredhand
County: Tyrone
Posts: 9810

1655119
Worst feeling in the world Lockjaw and its a long old journey home. I still think Donegal left that one behind yesterday, thats not a vintage Kerry by any stretch of the imagination, and theres probably a lot of regret among that squad today. Still think Donegal will remain a power in Ulster for a few years yet but on the national stage, I'm not so sure.

I agree Brend that I'm sure the Donegal players will feel they had the measure of Kerry yesterday and should have won the game.

Donegal will still be a major force nationally in the next few years I think. There's another All-Ireland in that team imo.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13705 - 22/09/2014 11:28:00    1655136

Cheers lads. Yeah it's just football at the end of the day and there are more important things in life. But still, the feeling in the pit of my stomach is going to take a few days to go away. Luckily we have club championship to focus on. I'm actually looking forward to a good hard training session tonight to get the weekend out of the system.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9116 - 22/09/2014 11:28:26    1655137

Lockjaw
County: Donegal
Posts: 3609

1655137
Cheers lads. Yeah it's just football at the end of the day and there are more important things in life. But still, the feeling in the pit of my stomach is going to take a few days to go away. Luckily we have club championship to focus on. I'm actually looking forward to a good hard training session tonight to get the weekend out of the system.

A couple of cups of strong coffee and a trip to the leithreas might sort that out! ;)

Club Champo will take the mind off it and then the McKenna Cup won't be too far away.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13705 - 22/09/2014 11:35:54    1655145

its funny but some of the best performers for ye yesterday were the older heads.

I though Christy Toye was fantastic and is getting better with age as is Rory Kavanagh and neil gallagher.
not sure about Mcfadden though.

I would think you might lose: Durkan,McGlynn,Thompson,Mcfadden,Toye,Kavanagh Neil Gallagher. It would be extremely difficult for those guys to put their bodies through another year of that. you have a decent minor and under-21 team so there must be some good players coming through (and also Mark mchugh)

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 22/09/2014 11:50:27    1655157

we have lost more than we have won so I know exactly how it feels.

2011 was sickening.

I don't buy a paper or listen to news for at least a week after the game.

Hard luck man,

The sun will rise tomorrow & the summer will come again.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 22/09/2014 11:57:11    1655166

Great post Lockjaw.

You have a lot of good days in sport - all the great days out that you had this year - beating Dublin particularly. At the end of it, you feel empty though because you lost one game. That is what it is about though- an emotional roller coaster. That is why you will be back next year and you will forget yesterday. for now, just get through it-the full Irish will have helped.

At least your team went out with a fight, our teams just rolled over and died. That is a lot worse and harder to take in my opinion.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 22/09/2014 12:00:35    1655171

Lockjaw, Let me tell ye something pal.

I was like you, As im sure you saw by my posts on here down the years i took Dublin defeats very very badly and wrote essays on here about my heart-break. All very embarrasing now looking back. But i did/do still take football results badly.

Our family booked a holiday last year right and it just so happened that i'd be over in Tenerife for the Monaghan game on Aug 9. I thought to myself that i couldnt watch it on tele, it wouldnt be the same as if i was there, and if they lost, there would be no Dubs game til January, The thought of that made my mind up, And i spent alot of bloody money to get home the mornin of the game, And then flew back to Tenerife for the final week of the holiday the following morning (Sunday).

Then, 8 days before the Donegal game, everything changed and perspective was put on football. A childhood friend of mine who lives just around the corner went missing and was unfortunately when found, It didnt have the outcome we all hoped for, Anyway... He was burried the wednesday before the Donegal game, Then on the sunday I went to the game, and we lost. But i didnt feel that empty feeling anymore. It was gone. Because something had happened the week before that was just far more important. The pain i felt when Dublin where knocked out of championship action was nothing compared to what his family was going through.

I suppose, What im trying to say it, there are more important things in life than football, believe me when people said that to me on here in years gone by i would be saying to myself, f*** off, you boys arent me and you dont know how serious i take it, But those guys where right. Its football, Its a game. Donegal will be back in the McKenna in Jan. The Dubs will be back in the O'Byrne around the same time, We are all fit and healthy, Thats the most important thing this morning pal.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 22/09/2014 12:12:11    1655190

Well said wayno lad. Cheers!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9116 - 22/09/2014 12:15:46    1655195

Chin up Lockjaw, I know from the 01 final how hard these losses are, especially when you take sport very seriously and take defeat in big games very bad (which personally I have to admit I do) but the feeling will pass and probably quicker than you think, life doesn't allow you to dwell on things for too long. Also Donegal are still a top team, even without McGuinness these players have the ability to bounce back and mount a serious challenge next year, they've been champions and they know how to get the job done, so all is not lost.

Sorry to hear that wayno, but that's life isn't it, can be very cruel sometimes and they're the sort things in life that put your own problems into perspective.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 22/09/2014 12:25:01    1655206

Spot on wayno! Great post 'anyone thats passionate about following their team feels awful pain when things don't turn out the way we would hope or expect but certain things can happen in life that puts the defeat in perspective! Still think donegal have more good days ahead plenty of young blood coming through!

DUBJOHN (Dublin) - Posts: 932 - 22/09/2014 12:25:54    1655209

PS I'm in work today because the other lads had the day booked off before me! Someone had to come in and mind the place! I'm glad now in a way. I'd rather be in here depressed and not used a day's leave than being hungover in Dublin with a 4 hour journey ahead of me!

Following on from the HolyMoly thread, I'm actually getting hitched next year also! So I need as many day's leave to carry over for the honeymoon aswell!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9116 - 22/09/2014 13:37:33    1655313

Probably the best thing alright, get back to normality as quick as possible.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 22/09/2014 14:48:20    1655376