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Might as well start the ball rolling on this one!
Without playing the wise head, Derry are clear favourites for me based on beating the All Ireland champions and now one of Irelands most consistent teams in the last decade. Donegal have beaten inferior opponents with no disrespect intended to anyone.
They will look to go after our lateral, hesitant play. They are hungry, manic even in their intent to defend and attack. Their hunger to win a first Ulster since 1998 will be enormous.
From a Donegal perspective, we probably will need to match their style in the first half particularly. This may not lead to a pretty game. Derry have built up a serious head of steam in both their games so far and it's nearly impossible to come back against that given their style once they build a lead up. Could come down to a case of who blinks first, or who wants it more. Individual errors or moments of brilliance to be especially key in this game.
On balance I see a Derry win for the reasons outlined above.
Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1321 - 15/05/2022 18:44:51
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I cant see anything else but a Derry victory. Having said that Donegal will be their toughest test. Monaghan Brought nothing new to the table today to beat them. We were very laboured going forward. Ball coming back a lot more often than going forward. Hard to watch at times. On what was to be one of the last big chances we turned Derry over and a brilliant long pass was sent forward. Only a few Derry players in their positions at the back. Instead of going forward at speed at throwing all at it and hope to at least draw a free our man solo up the wing at a laboured pace and then passes to ball to get rid of it to the first man he sees who happens to be behind him. At that stage I had seen enough.
border Gael (Monaghan) - Posts: 894 - 15/05/2022 19:25:34
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Replying To border Gael: "I cant see anything else but a Derry victory. Having said that Donegal will be their toughest test. Monaghan Brought nothing new to the table today to beat them. We were very laboured going forward. Ball coming back a lot more often than going forward. Hard to watch at times. On what was to be one of the last big chances we turned Derry over and a brilliant long pass was sent forward. Only a few Derry players in their positions at the back. Instead of going forward at speed at throwing all at it and hope to at least draw a free our man solo up the wing at a laboured pace and then passes to ball to get rid of it to the first man he sees who happens to be behind him. At that stage I had seen enough." Honestly, can't really see Donegal losing this. If Donegal perform as we all know they can then it'll be 4/5 point victory for Donegal. Monaghan were poor today and looked like they never prepared for an all out blanket defence. Donegal have long range shooters and will be a lot more patient than Monaghan were today in their shot selection. Monaghan just looked poorly coached today. Clones will suit Donegal more than it'll suit Derry. Should be a cracker of a game.
The qualifiers will be a minefield.
MurphBalls (Donegal) - Posts: 178 - 15/05/2022 20:23:40
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Massive win for Derry today, they will be steaming into this final full of hunger and confidence, big big test coming now for us, I believe we have the talent to beat anybody but that alone doesn't win you games in this Ulster Championship, have we the hunger to match Derry on the day?
Very hard game to call, if we get our game plan right we have a chance, at this stage though you'd have to say the momentum is all with Derry,
going to be one hell of a game that's for sure, do we sit in and mirror Derry? Monaghan got caught napping a bit in the first half and Tyrone weren't at the races at all, big test for Declan and Stephen now to get this right, fascinating final in prospect.
Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 2748 - 15/05/2022 20:25:15
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Hoping Bonner and rochford don't fall into the same trap as banty and Monaghan who didn't seem to be prepared for what Derry bring to the table.
I thought Derry were excellent in the first half and really blitzed Monaghan with great transition from defence to attack, reminiscent of Donegal v Cork in 2012. Big pressure on Gallagher to deliver silverware something he hasn't managed with anytime he has had the reigns over.
Hopefully we can bring a high energy performance into the final because it will be needed. A number of the Derry players were outstanding and I thought their goalkeeper was very good. Matchups will be key, hopefully we will get ours right.
totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 916 - 15/05/2022 20:44:42
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This should be wan good game , nothing against Donegal at alll , but would love to see Derry win an Ulster, like ourselves away from the top table for far too long
germac (Down) - Posts: 534 - 15/05/2022 21:06:50
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Replying To MurphBalls: "Honestly, can't really see Donegal losing this. If Donegal perform as we all know they can then it'll be 4/5 point victory for Donegal. Monaghan were poor today and looked like they never prepared for an all out blanket defence. Donegal have long range shooters and will be a lot more patient than Monaghan were today in their shot selection. Monaghan just looked poorly coached today. Clones will suit Donegal more than it'll suit Derry. Should be a cracker of a game.
The qualifiers will be a minefield." I am genuinely unsure if you're actually from Donegal. You have us down to hammer everyone. We were going to wipe Cavan, didn't happen. I don't know a Donegal fan who thinks like that.
To be honest, Derry have beaten superior teams and have all the intensity, hunger and no shortage of quality all over the pitch. Big players in key positions. Goals in their team. Tactically astute. More questions than answers about us.
Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1321 - 15/05/2022 21:13:33
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I think Nobody really knew what to make of the Tyrone game, as the Kennedy sending off on 25th minute and the penalty a minute or so later gave Derry a healthy lead at HT and Tyrone were unable to build further momentum in the 2nd half.
The 2 x 1st half goals gave Derry a similar platform today, and Monaghan's shot selection in first half and less so in the 2nd half really played into Derry's hands. In the end Derry scored 15 times and Monaghan scored 17 times, however 3 x goals for Derry created the margin.
This is a big test for Donegal, Rory Gallagher still has strong inside knowledge on Donegal football with his mentor Martin McHugh always in regularly contact, and his tight relationships with the Kilcar and Killybegs players too. However unlike the game in Ballybofey last year, this time I think we have a better idea of what we are dealing with and up against.
Declan Bonner can't say he hasn't been warned, he knows what way Derry are setup and who their key dangermen and also should have learnings on matchups.
I need to do a proper match-up of the teams, maybe the force is with Derry, but I expect Donegal to edge it.
Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1115 - 15/05/2022 21:38:26
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There's something different about Rory and this Derry team that I haven't seen before. Gareth Mc Kinless said after the match "it's like the glory days of old"
AudiMan (Donegal) - Posts: 648 - 16/05/2022 07:10:48
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Replying To Donegal_abroad: "I am genuinely unsure if you're actually from Donegal. You have us down to hammer everyone. We were going to wipe Cavan, didn't happen. I don't know a Donegal fan who thinks like that.
To be honest, Derry have beaten superior teams and have all the intensity, hunger and no shortage of quality all over the pitch. Big players in key positions. Goals in their team. Tactically astute. More questions than answers about us." I'm from Donegal!
I have us down to hammer everyone? I had Donegal to beat Cavan by 10. They won by 6. I wasn't far off. Yes, I was surprised by how good Cavan was and anyone saying before the game that Cavan was this and that and that league didn't mean anything was full of it. Cavan are clearly the exception to that. Cavan were sooooo bad in the league. I watched them play London live in London and that was what I was basing my prediction on. I'll admit now that I was wrong and I admitted it already. Cavan are a good team.
Now, I have Donegal by 4/5 points. Monaghan were so erratic yesterday taking potshots from everywhere. Donegal won't do that. Donegal will be way more controlled and will deal with Derry's top players a lot better than what Monaghan did. If we get our matchups right, especially on McKindless running from deep, and McGuigan, I think we will win by 4/5 points.
MurphBalls (Donegal) - Posts: 178 - 16/05/2022 08:50:13
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Derry were hugely impressive yesterday especially in the first half. They brought great discipline in defence and real pace and hunger in attack.
I really thought Monaghan would match them in defending and bottle up their forward line but Derry won all the match ups. Will Donegal s defence fare any better than Tyrones or Monaghans only time will tell.
Rorys teams thrive on getting an early lead and holding it. Goals were huge yesterday and Monaghan never looked like getting one. It will be crucial for Donegal to keep it tight especially first half and take goal chances. Derry have scored 21 points in both their games so far and that will have to be the minimum target for Donegal. Place kicking could be crucial especially if conditions are sticky and different referee to Cough and Donegal could have the edge here too.
It was interesting that Derry struggled in second half when Monaghan pushed up on their knockouts. When Lunch was forced to go long they lost a lot around the middle. This is somewhere Donegal should out gun Derry and should aim to exploit. I would also rate Patton ahead of Lynch and this area will be crucial in what will probably be a very tight game.
Really looking forward to this one. Derry will bring huge confidence and momentum and in Gallagher a great tactician. Donegal will need to call on all their experience and talents.
seanmacA (Donegal) - Posts: 13 - 16/05/2022 09:41:02
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Replying To MurphBalls: "I'm from Donegal!
I have us down to hammer everyone? I had Donegal to beat Cavan by 10. They won by 6. I wasn't far off. Yes, I was surprised by how good Cavan was and anyone saying before the game that Cavan was this and that and that league didn't mean anything was full of it. Cavan are clearly the exception to that. Cavan were sooooo bad in the league. I watched them play London live in London and that was what I was basing my prediction on. I'll admit now that I was wrong and I admitted it already. Cavan are a good team.
Now, I have Donegal by 4/5 points. Monaghan were so erratic yesterday taking potshots from everywhere. Donegal won't do that. Donegal will be way more controlled and will deal with Derry's top players a lot better than what Monaghan did. If we get our matchups right, especially on McKindless running from deep, and McGuigan, I think we will win by 4/5 points." I can see your point about Monaghan's shooting but a lot of those shots, especially in the first half, were down to the pressure from Derry. They were really excellent defensively. Monaghan had a good purple patch in the 2nd half and to be honest I felt they were going to reel Derry back in had that 3rd goal not gone in. I felt the momentum had shifted but it was a huge moment. But in terms of the shooting, I'd say we are better at engineering a score and being patient, we have plenty of experience at this stage not to take shots from really difficult areas etc., but who knows how players will react once they are out on the field.
My worry is playing too much of that possession based stuff, if we motor up the pitch fast then we can get at Derry, but if we do too much of the slowly slowly stuff, while we are good at being patient I just think this Derry side will lap that up, turn us over and break at pace which will have us exposed.
The matchups will be very important like you say, who would you have on McKindless? Ryan didn't work on him last year. I think we have a few options for McGuigan and even though he had a rough day on Lynch the last day I would like McCole to pick him up.
I just hope our half forwards make a step up in this game because they weren't great against Cavan and we need everyone firing for this final I feel.
Really looking forward to it!
JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 16/05/2022 09:50:23
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Replying To seanmacA: "Derry were hugely impressive yesterday especially in the first half. They brought great discipline in defence and real pace and hunger in attack.
I really thought Monaghan would match them in defending and bottle up their forward line but Derry won all the match ups. Will Donegal s defence fare any better than Tyrones or Monaghans only time will tell.
Rorys teams thrive on getting an early lead and holding it. Goals were huge yesterday and Monaghan never looked like getting one. It will be crucial for Donegal to keep it tight especially first half and take goal chances. Derry have scored 21 points in both their games so far and that will have to be the minimum target for Donegal. Place kicking could be crucial especially if conditions are sticky and different referee to Cough and Donegal could have the edge here too.
It was interesting that Derry struggled in second half when Monaghan pushed up on their knockouts. When Lunch was forced to go long they lost a lot around the middle. This is somewhere Donegal should out gun Derry and should aim to exploit. I would also rate Patton ahead of Lynch and this area will be crucial in what will probably be a very tight game.
Really looking forward to this one. Derry will bring huge confidence and momentum and in Gallagher a great tactician. Donegal will need to call on all their experience and talents." That is a good point on the kickouts... I'd like to see us going long more often on our own kickout to be honest. Just because a team is giving you the short one doesn't mean you have to take it.
JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 16/05/2022 09:51:29
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Replying To AudiMan: "There's something different about Rory and this Derry team that I haven't seen before. Gareth Mc Kinless said after the match "it's like the glory days of old"" I think they'll be coming into this final like we did in 2011/12, they look like men on a mission, they have some fantastic players but hunger and will to win is the key to this, as was said there is no excuses to made after this that we didn't know what was coming.
Just looking PP have Donegal 8/11 and Derry 11/8, in my book it's closer than that, 15/2 draw looks the value bet.
I hope to see Michael Murphy lift the Anglo Celt on the 29th of May, Derry are definitely a coming team though,
cracker of a game in store.
Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 2748 - 16/05/2022 09:53:28
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Replying To Donegal_abroad: "I am genuinely unsure if you're actually from Donegal. You have us down to hammer everyone. We were going to wipe Cavan, didn't happen. I don't know a Donegal fan who thinks like that.
To be honest, Derry have beaten superior teams and have all the intensity, hunger and no shortage of quality all over the pitch. Big players in key positions. Goals in their team. Tactically astute. More questions than answers about us." I asked before yesterday's game what made anyone think Monaghan were a superior team to Cavan. They are not. League standings being read into far too much.
Derry were good but they beat a poor team. Donegal weren't as good last weekend but beat a better side than Monaghan.
Donegal to fix a few small issues and win this by 3 or 4.
cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5012 - 16/05/2022 09:55:05
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Hi Chaps
I'm coming over from London for this one hoping to see a Donegal victory.
Staying in Cavan on Saturday and making my way to Clones early Sunday morning.
Any advice regarding decent pubs to go to enjoy the post match craic would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
MartinEgan (UK) - Posts: 80 - 16/05/2022 09:55:59
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Replying To JoeSoap: "I can see your point about Monaghan's shooting but a lot of those shots, especially in the first half, were down to the pressure from Derry. They were really excellent defensively. Monaghan had a good purple patch in the 2nd half and to be honest I felt they were going to reel Derry back in had that 3rd goal not gone in. I felt the momentum had shifted but it was a huge moment. But in terms of the shooting, I'd say we are better at engineering a score and being patient, we have plenty of experience at this stage not to take shots from really difficult areas etc., but who knows how players will react once they are out on the field.
My worry is playing too much of that possession based stuff, if we motor up the pitch fast then we can get at Derry, but if we do too much of the slowly slowly stuff, while we are good at being patient I just think this Derry side will lap that up, turn us over and break at pace which will have us exposed.
The matchups will be very important like you say, who would you have on McKindless? Ryan didn't work on him last year. I think we have a few options for McGuigan and even though he had a rough day on Lynch the last day I would like McCole to pick him up.
I just hope our half forwards make a step up in this game because they weren't great against Cavan and we need everyone firing for this final I feel.
Really looking forward to it!" How about McFadden-Ferry to start at CHF solely to sicken McKinless? A lot of Derry's best stuff was initiated from deep by McKinless yesterday. If he had a terrier like Odhran negating his influence it could go a long way to breaking Derry.
I'd like to see McCole start on McGuigan. They're similarly matched in terms of physique and McCole has been excellent in 2022, albeit had a tough afternoon against Cavan.
Midfield will be another key battleground. We can't allow Conor Glass to dictate things in there. Jason McGee has that fantastic spring and fielding ability as he demonstrated against Armagh. I think he'd be best suited for Glass. If he can edge that battle it will be significant.
I'd expect to see McKaigue take McBrearty. He did an excellent job on him last year, but as we all seen Paddy needs to be watched every second until the final whistle or he'll punish.
Like a lot of others have mentioned already, I think we'll need to attack at pace and go direct early when it's on. Derry operate a similar spider's web type defence that Donegal used to do so well. If there is slow ponderous attacking they'll strip the ball with glee and look to punish on the counter.
The big word in my opinion is conviction. If Donegal go out with the right focus and aggressively go at Derry from the start I still think we're a wee level above an improving Derry. But make no mistake, if we're any way off it, Derry will gladly seize the initiative and inflict what would be a very sore defeat on us.
Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9136 - 16/05/2022 11:26:03
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Replying To AudiMan: "There's something different about Rory and this Derry team that I haven't seen before. Gareth Mc Kinless said after the match "it's like the glory days of old"" I'd say its that Derry are finally back playing at their potential.
Monaghan game probably gave everyone a better insight of how Derry setup, their strengths (1st half) and weaknesses (2nd half). Monaghan really got to grips with them in the 2nd half, posting 0-11 to Derry's 1-05, but the half time lead combined with a 3rd Derry goal and some very poor shooting and shot selection by Monaghan in the 2nd half meant the game was beyond them.
However the workrate and effort by Derry in the first half was outstanding, it was a very systematic performance and the quality of their individual players within the system made them look impressive.
Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1115 - 16/05/2022 11:27:06
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Well done to Derry on reaching their first Ulster final in a long number of years. They certainly have some excellent footballers in Conor Glass, Shane McGuigan, Gareth McKinless, Brendan Rogers and the ever reliable and experienced Chrissy McKaigue. By beating Tyrone and Monaghan (Division 1 Teams) and Galway also beating Mayo, it shows the quality of the teams in Division 2 last year. It will also mean some quality games in Division 2 next year with Dublin, Mayo, Kildare and Derry some of the contenders for promotion.
However I do not expect Derry to beat Donegal as their manager totally loses his cool under pressure, and therefore will not be able to make emotionally intelligent decisions at the critical times. He has a terrible habit of just roaring and shouting continuously at linesmen, referees and players and as a result, his players cannot interpret the critical information from the rest of the waffle that they may be hearing. Indeed Ian O'Riordan reporting on page 4 in the sports supplement of today's Irish Times states " with Rory Gallagher shouting endlessly mad instructions from the side line". His ranting and raving during the league match against Roscommon also influenced Shane McGuigan's reaction after getting a second yellow card which meant that he missed the critical game against Galway that effectively ended their promotion hopes. To the best of my knowledge McGuigan was not suspended for getting two yellow cards, but for his totally over-the-top reaction to getting sent off.
I expect the more experienced Donegal management team of Declan Bonner and Stephen Rochford to make better judgement calls in the white heat of an Ulster final. This may well prove to be the difference in what I expect will be a close encounter. In addition, I do not think that getting 15 men behind the ball in their own half, on a continuous basis gets the best out of their talented attacking forwards such as Shane McGuigan and Benny Heron as the summer heats up.
However Rory Gallagher expects a huge amount of effort and commitment from his players (pride in the county jersey) and has learned a huge amount from his playing/managerial career travelling around Ireland; Erne Gaels (Fermanagh), St Brigid's (Dublin), St Gall's (Antrim) along with playing county football with Fermanagh and Cavan. His management career has also taken him to Donegal, Fermanagh and Derry. However it had to be acknowledged that he has turned Derry around with some of their best players playing well at the moment. They are very fit and stick to the primarily defensive game plan. However I feel that their first main championship battle will come in the Ulster final as Tyrone were terrible and Monaghan while not playing at near their potential, still managed to score 17 points (5 more than Derry).
letsgetgoing (Roscommon) - Posts: 506 - 16/05/2022 11:45:40
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Donegal by 5-6. Derry can't have that performance 3 games in a row and our boys have plenty of experience in finals.
naomh_conaill_4 (Donegal) - Posts: 481 - 16/05/2022 12:00:00
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