Donegal v Tyrone USFC (1st Round)

This is the biggest 1st round match in the whole championship since 1994, when a supposedly washed-up Down side went into Celtic Park and dethroned reigning AI champions Derry, in what was perhaps the best game of football in the last quarter century.

This time, it's Tyrone who have to travel into the lions' den, in an attempt to defeat last year's winners, and while I wouldn't be optimistic that the game itself will hit the exalted heights of Derry/Down, I've no doubt that it will be a tremendous battle, with little between the sides at the final whistle.

RMD, no doubt acting on a missive from Glasgow, has already started the mind games, initially posting inaccurate information about Karl Lacey's recovery, and now by casting doubt over Mark McHugh's availability. Well, two can play at that game, and it would be negligent of me not to point out that SON and Peter Harte missed the league final last weekend, while Conor Gormley, Dermot Carlin, Aidan Cassidy and Justin McMahon all came off injured during the match. Throw in Kyle Coney, Darren McCurry and Ronan O'Neill all returning from injury, as well as Ronan McNabb's long awaited first match since last summer, and Tyrone have plenty of question marks around selection themselves.

So, I'll cast it open to neutrals and partisans alike: How do we see this one going?!

Tyrone will benefit from a higher level of competetive football coming into this contest. Both camps are throwing out the usual "red herrings" with regard to injuries etc. but if one was to borrow from "the foreign game", the decimation of Barcelona's possession policy may be contextualised * with Donegal, in that once you know how they operate you can negative it. At this juncture I'm leaning slightly to Tyrone.

* I've been out of commission for about 10 days and having recovered, read a few books. I liked the word and have now found a use for it....

Can you imagine how huge this game would have been if there was no backdoor. I think Tyrone will sneak this game but it wouldn't surprise me if Donegal progress further than Tyrone in the All Ireland series.

Morgan for top scorer

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Jim has been banging this drum for 3 months now, but I can't help but think that, if they really were that far off the pace in the league, he'd be downplaying it. Perhaps a case of trying to convince a misfiring side that they are primed to click into top gear....

Big boost for the Red Hands.....TC will have some scurrying to do to downplay this bit of news. Advantage Tyrone at this point.....

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Boxtyeater wrote:Big boost for the Red Hands.....TC will have some scurrying to do to downplay this bit of news. Advantage Tyrone at this point.....

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Little good news there, Boxty. Explore the body of the article and you find that he hasn't even started training again yet. You also discover that Cathal McCarron was carried off for his club, and Ronan O'Neill was injured again. Aidan Cassidy, our best ball winning midfielder, is almost certainly out. Worrying times for the Red Hands...

Thomas Clarke wrote:
Little good news there, Boxty. Explore the body of the article and you find that he hasn't even started training again yet. You also discover that Cathal McCarron was carried off for his club, and Ronan O'Neill was injured again. Aidan Cassidy, our best ball winning midfielder, is almost certainly out. Worrying times for the Red Hands...

At 8.10 in the morning TC and a multitude of other things howling for priority......

McCarron is surely a loss and Cassidy has impressed me on any occasion that I've seen him this year. Unlike some counties it's unusual to see Tyrone playing competetive club matches so close to the opening round. Have faith I say.

Boxtyeater wrote:
McCarron is surely a loss and Cassidy has impressed me on any occasion that I've seen him this year. Unlike some counties it's unusual to see Tyrone playing competetive club matches so close to the opening round. Have faith I say.

I must admit to being optimistic. Donegal, while a formidable side last year, have not been good thus far in 2013. Jimmy has talked constantly about only having eyes for the championship, but I don't believe that we've seen Tyrone at 100% yet either. I think it will be a ferocious battle.

donegalnews.com/2013/05/donegal-report-fully-fit-panel

Timed nicely fingers crossed

OMAR wrote:donegalnews.com/2013/05/donegal-report-fully-fit-panel

Timed nicely fingers crossed

A great position to be in. What do you expect the side to be? AI final 15, or will there be a change somewhere to keep things fresh (Wherrity, Walsh?)

With McHugh, Lacey and McGlynn all attacking halfbacks and all having missed a lot of training this spring, would it be a risk to play them all together?

Thomas Clarke wrote:

OMAR wrote:donegalnews.com/2013/05/donegal-report-fully-fit-panel Timed nicely fingers crossed

A great position to be in. What do you expect the side to be? AI final 15, or will there be a change somewhere to keep things fresh (Wherrity, Walsh?) With McHugh, Lacey and McGlynn all attacking halfbacks and all having missed a lot of training this spring, would it be a risk to play them all together?

Lacey has not had an intercounty match (challenge) aside since the AI so might be rested at outset ? Wherrity for McLoone another possibility. But I'll go for AI 15 minus Lacey (R McHugh wing back, McGlynn centre)

OMAR wrote: Lacey has not had an intercounty match (challenge) aside since the AI so might be rested at outset ? Wherrity for McLoone another possibility. But I'll go for AI 15 minus Lacey (R McHugh wing back, McGlynn centre)

Hmm, I can't see Lacey not starting. Alan Dillon had his first game since the AI yesterday, and played well. Lacey will start.

Wherrity for McLoone (for variety if nothing else) is a real possibility. I can't see Ryan McHugh starting, but would prefer to see him start than his brother!

Video interview with Mickey previewing the Donegal game, seemingly recorded last week.

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Thomas Clarke wrote:

OMAR wrote: Lacey has not had an intercounty match (challenge) aside since the AI so might be rested at outset ? Wherrity for McLoone another possibility. But I'll go for AI 15 minus Lacey (R McHugh wing back, McGlynn centre)

Hmm, I can't see Lacey not starting. Alan Dillon had his first game since the AI yesterday, and played well. Lacey will start.

Wherrity for McLoone (for variety if nothing else) is a real possibility. I can't see Ryan McHugh starting, but would prefer to see him start than his cousin!

Cousin ? I think Eoins doing the leaving cert

OMAR wrote:
Cousin ? I think Eoins doing the leaving cert

Corrected it 2 minutes ago! Talking of inaccuracies, have a look at Mark's wikipedia page. Barcelona, JR Ewing, The Undertaker, Daniel O'Donnell...!

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for all the whinging from Tyrone fans (amongst others) that the match should have been played in Clones due to capacity and demand for tickets it seems there's any amount of terrace tickets available for Sundays game.

Going to be a war of attrition and more akin to something resembling rugby but i think Tyrone are going to come out on the right side of the result.

Donegal can claim they were preparing for this Sunday from the start of the year but i dont buy it and you dont prepare for a game of this magnitude by getting beat in most of your league games & relegated.

I feel a verse of Jimmys losing matches coming on..................

bocerty wrote:for all the whinging from Tyrone fans (amongst others) that the match should have been played in Clones due to capacity and demand for tickets it seems there's any amount of terrace tickets available for Sundays game.

Going to be a war of attrition and more akin to something resembling rugby but i think Tyrone are going to come out on the right side of the result.

Donegal can claim they were preparing for this Sunday from the start of the year but i dont buy it and you dont prepare for a game of this magnitude by getting beat in most of your league games & relegated.

I feel a verse of Jimmys losing matches coming on..................

On a brighter note We will have five weeks to prepare for Carlow

OMAR wrote:
On a brighter note We will have five weeks to prepare for Carlow

Ah come on Omar, show a bit of optimism: You might draw Galway or Armagh instead.

OMAR wrote:

bocerty wrote:for all the whinging from Tyrone fans (amongst others) that the match should have been played in Clones due to capacity and demand for tickets it seems there's any amount of terrace tickets available for Sundays game.

Going to be a war of attrition and more akin to something resembling rugby but i think Tyrone are going to come out on the right side of the result.

Donegal can claim they were preparing for this Sunday from the start of the year but i dont buy it and you dont prepare for a game of this magnitude by getting beat in most of your league games & relegated.

I feel a verse of Jimmys losing matches coming on..................

On a brighter note We will have five weeks to prepare for Carlow

there must be Kerry blood in you OMAR

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I,d have left it uncut - ball shouldn,t hit the grass if we play 100pc handpasses

Tremendously cagey games being played out here on the board. Bullish comments as scarce as hen's teeth.

Despite both sides being named, there isn't any spiel about selections/tactics/overviews or opinions.

Thomas Clarke has obviously been put "on mute" by Mickey, but it's hard to see the irascible Bocerty so restraied....

OMAR, on the other hand, one feels, may be on the verge of announcing some major catastrophe...

Gas men all up there.....

Donegal name the AI starting fifteen. Good to see that the tactic of using the league as a sandpit has paid off.
Though I still forecast R Mchugh to start

The Tyrone team was pretty much as I'd've expected, with Quinn over injury doubt Carlin the only real cal that had to be made. Mickey says that only Ronan O'Neill is unavailable for selection, so I'd guess that Carlin, Cassidy, McNeice, Kane, Coney & McCurry are the options on the bench. With Harte and SON replacing McNeice and Carlin, the side looks more adventurous than that which played in the league final, and it certainly has greater scoring potential.

Who marks Murphy, McFadden & McBrearty will be very interesting. Quinn doesn't appear to be a good physical match for any of them, and I'd imagine that one of the McMahons will end up back there. Matte Donnelly will also feature in a 7 man defence.

As Omar says, it may be slightly worrying for Donegal that no-one did enough in the league to force their way into the side. If all turn up in the same form as last September, Donegal will have too much for Tyrone, but it is rare that everyone in any side can retain their best form 9 months on. The 3 injury doubts (Lacey, McHugh and McGlynn) are all half backs, so I'd be surprised to see them all risked in the same area of the field. During the league, I felt that Donegal missed the footballing ability of Lacey & McHugh when bringing the ball out of defence, and either would be a huge loss if unavailable.

Certainly not a spectacle, marred by dreadful conditions I suppose. I was disappointed gravely by Tyrone. They looked oddly sluggish and Gormley apart, were lacking in leadership. Wasteful use of opportunities and the wides tally, many of which were "Holy Marys", will haunt them.

Donegal just about did enough to feel comfortable but there are surely stiffer challenges ahead (or they're should be). Cavan's to lose now.

I'm leaving the opportunity for supporters of both to come on and hand out the P45's and the statuettes.