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Donegal GAA thread

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Replying To Al_Maguire:  "Yeah I agree 100 per cent with that. The showing hesitation about it too. It's a great psychological boost for the opposition when he's taking forever. He's capable of booting it 70 yards. So just aim for our biggest midfielder or best breakers of ball and go with the 50 v 50 chance of us getting it, instead of trying to thread the eye of a needle.

I think our problem last few games is more playing within ourselves in the first half. We are waiting to see what the opposition can bring, instead of just playing our game. Time to address that for semi final though."
Yeah in those scenarios where I high press is on, Patton should welly it 70+ yards towards the corner forwards, have or half forwards alerted to break in that direction at pace. Croke park will give more shelter from high wind and it creates a new problem for oppositions, where they start to doubt the high press tactic.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1403 - 30/06/2025 16:48:56    2622699

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Replying To Commodore:  "Regarding Pattons kickouts when faced with a high press, I think if there are no options available at short or medium range, the safe option should be to send a boomer long down the field. If you lose it there, then the opposition have to work their way back up the pitch. When a short kick-out is taken during a high press, its a high risk game.

I agree about playing into Monaghan's hand in that first half, its a bit worrying tbh."
I was thinking the same with the high press, the best option is to try to kick over it, we seen Ryan get caught yesterday like patton did on Saturday. Patton has the weapon of the big boot to do this. It's not everytime but if you can beat the high press a couple of times you force the opposition to back off, and then it's easier to get a short kick out away.

totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 1106 - 30/06/2025 17:14:20    2622713

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Meath in 2 weeks time will be a brilliant occasion and atmosphere in Croke park, as Meath will bring a huge crowd.

Brings me back to my first time in Croke Park, the 1990 semi final against Meath. What a team Meath had then, arguably their best. Mick Lyons, Brian Stafford, Bernard Flynn, Colm O'Rourke, Liam Hayes to name a few. A physically big and hard as nails team with brilliant footballers and one of the all time great managers and GAA men in Sean Boylan.

I was lucky enough to get a picture with Sean in Ballybofey last year after the Div 2 league game, as he was part O'Rourke's backroom team, at 80 years young!

Donegal legend, Tony Boyle got his first start that day against Meath as a 20 year old, he had come on as a sub before that. Donegal wore the Ulster kit that day, due to the clash in colours.

An All Ireland semi final is a very special occasion, especially for whole families as tickets are more widely available. Semi finals don't come around too often for ourselves. So I hope Donegal fans travel in big numbers to Croke park, to get behind the team and hopefully we can do our bit to get the team over the line into the holy grail of an All Ireland final, which will be very difficult against a Meath team who have shown they are more than capable of beating highly rated Provincial champions. Donegal Abu.

The_viewer (Donegal) - Posts: 18 - 30/06/2025 18:29:23    2622731

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Replying To totalrecall:  "And Monaghan always bates Donegal..."
Enjoy n17 on the way home

hi_sir (Donegal) - Posts: 9 - 30/06/2025 19:34:51    2622744

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Replying To totalrecall:  "I was thinking the same with the high press, the best option is to try to kick over it, we seen Ryan get caught yesterday like patton did on Saturday. Patton has the weapon of the big boot to do this. It's not everytime but if you can beat the high press a couple of times you force the opposition to back off, and then it's easier to get a short kick out away."
Seems like he overthinks it sometimes. When the oppposition are putting the kickout under pressure and you have the distance Patton has, just use it. For those periods were the kickout is under pressure, I'd like to see them commit a couple of extra bodies to the opposition half and launch it. With the new rules we've seen it over and over again were Teams get penned in on their own kickout, Patton has the distance to limit the damage in those periods and potentially turn the tide by getting the ball as far up the field as possible

JimB1991 (Donegal) - Posts: 96 - 30/06/2025 19:57:01    2622749

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We have a great chance of getting to a final now. Meath was objectively the better draw to get and we can definitely beat them but its all on the day. They are a quality outfit in bonus territory now and will be going hell for leather. We were poor enough in the first half against both Louth and Monaghan - cant afford to be in that position again. Great to be at the business end again and in the battle for the big honours.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1435 - 30/06/2025 20:14:57    2622755

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Interesting to see where Donegal are actually at having seen how poorly Armagh performed yesterday in 2nd half versus Kerry. Same Armagh side that went whole way v Donegal. Also Tyrone while overcoming Dublin, didn't seem a super side yet took down Donegal up there. Monaghan caused Donegal trouble in first half at weekend yet Donegal found a way as they do by upping intensity but really not sure Monaghan have very good players around the middle anyway.
Patton looked dodgy on kickouts and the get out of jail one long to Murphy can be sussed without fuss with any of the Meath big fielders.

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 720 - 30/06/2025 21:07:07    2622762

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