Galway V Donegal AI Qualifiers Round 4 July 25th 2009 Markievicz Park Sligo 5pm

So it's a repeat of the 2003 QF clash in which Donegal came out on top in Castlebar after a draw in Croke park. Since then however, I'd say Galway have maintained that level while Donegal have slowly drifted off. All the smart money will be on Galway and in fairness I can't really argue with that.
I'm sure that Galway were hoping for Donegal or Meath/Roscommon or Wicklow or Kerry in that order so I'm sure that they will be happy enough with the draw.
There can be only one venue for this game and thats Markevich park in Sligo. Castlebar and Roscommon are being mentioned however I do hope that the GAA will have enough sense not to drag our supporters half way accross the country as they did in 2003.
As for the game itself, the Donegal backs will be tested to the extreme. I expect us to drop Monagan back again (as Galway did against Mayo) and operate with a 2 man FF line. It's looking like MF will be the key area. Galway's much maligned 8 and 9 against our makeshift ones. We'll need Conal Dunne and Roper to sweep up a lot of breaks (as they did against Derry) and hope that we can break even.
If McFadden can keep his confidence and cut down on the wides, and Neil McGee can manage to defend smeone for a change this year, we might make a game of it.

Donegal will be raging hot favourites, Galway complete underdogs, nobody will give them a chance. All the pressure on Donegal and as we know from times past, when the weight of expectation lies on the shoulders of Donegal, they deliever. Donegal by 10+!

Did you have a few beers after the Derry game RMD? Well deserved if so!

I think this is going to be a great game, these are 2 sides that can play brilliantly or terribily and for me now will be the outside shot at the semi final place, hey the way Kerry are playing either of these sides could reach the final!

The Antrim game is still in the mind of the Donegal players and management but the result against Derry will really boost the confidence no end and Donegal will have a pyscological advantage over Galway now after their defeat to Mayo. There's no way that Donegal can be touted as favourites, they lost to Antrim for Gods sake, and to say that they will win by 10 plus is just silly talk. Galway are a damn good side!

This will be a completely different game to the Derry match for Donegal and will test the management out a treat!

A battle that i cannot wait to see, now that Derry are out, Donegal are my team (moreso after beating Derry) and hopefully i'll be following them for more than one week!

Depends which Donegal show up really. They are such a Jeykll and Hyde team whereas Galway as consistently average. Will be a close game which I think Galway will shade by 2 or 3 points

I don't rate Galway and if Donegal play how they did on Saturday with the never say die attitude and take advantage of Galways poor defence they have every chance. Galway have a gig game in them though. I'll wait to the venue is decided before any more analysis, however Donegal in the championship out of Ballybofey is like a fish out of water...

RMDrive wrote:There can be only one venue for this game and thats Markevich park in Sligo. Castlebar and Roscommon are being mentioned however I do hope that the GAA will have enough sense not to drag our supporters half way accross the country as they did in 2003.

Won't be in Markievicz anyway RMD. There's 4 Senior and Intermediate club Championship games fixed there for Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Expect a potential double-header with Antrim and Kerry in Hyde Park or Castlebar.

black&white wrote:

RMDrive wrote:There can be only one venue for this game and thats Markevich park in Sligo. Castlebar and Roscommon are being mentioned however I do hope that the GAA will have enough sense not to drag our supporters half way accross the country as they did in 2003.

Won't be in Markievicz anyway RMD. There's 4 Senior and Intermediate club Championship games fixed there for Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Expect a potential double-header with Antrim and Kerry in Hyde Park or Castlebar.

Personally McHale park would suit me down to the ground but I don't know if the ongoing works there would allow the game to go ahead. Maybe they'll take us to Carrick on Shannon?

The game is in Sligo at 5pm and will be shown live on RTE.

People were swearing on their lives yesterday that Galway had drawn Kerry. It was gas, everyone was going round talking about how Kerrys were gone and how Galway were gonna put them out of their misery and then wathcing the Sunday game in the pub out pop good old Donegal

RMDrive wrote:The game is in Sligo at 5pm and will be shown live on RTE.

Typical GAA. Shaft the Sligo clubs despite the match having NOTHING to do with Sligo.

Coolera, Tourlestrane, St. Molaise Gaels and Castleconnor all missing out at the expense of this. Jus tgoes to show how much the GAA value our club players.

And it's Markievicz Park!

Lots of anger around here today ...........

black&white wrote:

RMDrive wrote:The game is in Sligo at 5pm and will be shown live on RTE.

Typical GAA. Shaft the Sligo clubs despite the match having NOTHING to do with Sligo.

Coolera, Tourlestrane, St. Molaise Gaels and Castleconnor all missing out at the expense of this. Jus tgoes to show how much the GAA value our club players.

Think of the gate receipts

Bright-Oak wrote:
Think of the gate receipts

We don't get them!
The GAA keeps the gate receipts for qualifiers and gives a set fee to the county board who host the game. Fee is SFA from what I've heard

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Lots of anger around here today ...........

Just sick to death of club players being treated like sh*t by the GAA. We've already had games postponed because of Sligo, then the county board went and fixed one of our games for the morning of Sligo v Galway (one of only three free weekends we'd had since March.)

That and I've had to do a full day's work today, despite having booked it as annual leave.

black&white wrote:And it's Markievicz Park!

Galway have already won at this venue in the championship. Donegal are flaky enough outside of Ballybofey. Galway by 6

mossbags wrote:Galway have already won at this venue in the championship. Donegal are flaky enough outside of Ballybofey. Galway by 6

Galway scraped by Sligo and Mayo took the hand out of them virtually the entire 70 minutes. Galway are flaky as well.

Sligo the team who should have knocked Kerry out of the championship on Saturday.
Donegal have bate nothing so far. Lost to Antrim and got the pick of the draw against useless teams to get this far. Will be handy enough for us I'd say

mossbags wrote:Sligo the team who should have knocked Kerry out of the championship on Saturday.
Donegal have bate nothing so far. Lost to Antrim and got the pick of the draw against useless teams to get this far. Will be handy enough for us I'd say

Youse are set up for a fall, like ourselves, Galway are one of the most over rated teams in the country, hammered by Kerry last year. They have no midfield and no defence. Also Donegal beat Derry, National league finalists 09 a stage where Galway couldn't get to with a full team as they shat themselves in Killarney and got beat by 7 points. Also, you can't compare the Kerry this year to the Kerry last year.

Last years game against Kerry showcased was everything that beautiful and good about football. Pity there hasn't been too many game like that this year, too many teams intent on destroying the game with their cynical and negative approach. I can think of one game in particular there earlier in the season which was the complete opposite of the Galway/Kerry match last year and stood for everything that is wrong and malignant in the way the game is being played to-day by certain counties.
Donegal in fairness arent the worst but people who think they are on some sort of 'qualifier run' are fairly deluded considering the dire quality of the opposition they've faced thus far.

Mossy claiming to be Tyrone's biggest rival is fairly deluded. At least I can admit Derry are overrated.

And still RMD swims around the bait...... refusing to nibble .......

black&white wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Lots of anger around here today ...........

Just sick to death of club players being treated like sh*t by the GAA. We've already had games postponed because of Sligo, then the county board went and fixed one of our games for the morning of Sligo v Galway (one of only three free weekends we'd had since March.)

That and I've had to do a full day's work today, despite having booked it as annual leave.

This is crazy Sligo are out of the race for Liam but there club championships are been held up due to mossbags/Clash and RMD.
Talk about contempt for clubs this really shows how fecked up croker is and how much they really care about the grassroots.

But then again can't ye all go see the game aren't they been so thoughtful

I believe RMD has already penned a letter to HQ outlining the guilt he feels at holding up the Sligo C'ship and offering Ballybofey as a compromise venue for the Yeats lads!