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Donegal GAA thread

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Replying To eddieSize5Balls: "He's a free kick merchant. Offers very little from play. Not worried." A very disingenuous appraisal of a very good player, I wouldn't mind a player like him togging out for Donegal. totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 1181 - 15/02/2026 10:25:20 2656493 Link
Replying To S1234: "Lol must have touched a nerve. Do your talking on the pitch tommorow maybe as we will ." Yas didn't do much else on the pitch today Clare. Men against boys really, and we had a Leaving Cert student playing! peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1442 - 15/02/2026 15:28:55 2656557 Link
Big reality check for Mayo. Was at the game. Donegal lightning up front. We still have to work hard to get chances. A bit off it yet. TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8750 - 15/02/2026 16:03:24 2656569 Link
Replying To sligo joe: "If we take the "Dublin Era" as 2011 to '23 when Clucko, Fitz and Macker won 9 celtic crosses the Dubs won about 75 championship matches and lost 4, one to Donegal, two to Mayo and one to Kerry. Any Dublin player, manager or fan from that era knows that over those years Mayo were consistently our closest and toughest rivals, regularly just a kick of the ball between us." Mayo were Dubs closest rival and their style of play made it tough for us but they were not the second best team.I read somewhere recently where it said while Mayo could put it up to Dublin in that era they eere beaten by Galway,Roscommon,Kerry,Donegal and Kikdare in that era also. brayballer (Wicklow) - Posts: 476 - 15/02/2026 16:30:26 2656577 Link
Replying To S1234: "Lol must have touched a nerve. Do your talking on the pitch tommorow maybe as we will ." No nerve touched, just bragging coming 2nd kind of silly. As for today's match, league is for trying players out and building a panel. I suggest Donegal are further down the road with Championship preparations. Mayo need to find a few forwards. Some bad wides especially in the second half. Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 845 - 15/02/2026 17:12:33 2656595 Link
Replying To TheFlaker: "Big reality check for Mayo. Was at the game. Donegal lightning up front. We still have to work hard to get chances. A bit off it yet." I don't think that game today is an accurate reflection of where Mayo are at regarding Championship, I wouldn't read anything into today's game. I expect Mayo will be a very different animal come summer. Delighted that Donegal got the 2 points, definitely improvement on the Kerry game performance. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1610 - 15/02/2026 17:58:56 2656612 Link
Donegal not even in second gear and blew Mayo away with minimal fuss. Ye are motoring well lads Question - why the 2 min delay in letting kids on the pitch today? To get the players off? ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1755 - 15/02/2026 18:00:28 2656615 Link
Replying To ahsure.: "Donegal not even in second gear and blew Mayo away with minimal fuss. Ye are motoring well lads Question - why the 2 min delay in letting kids on the pitch today? To get the players off?" Donegal seem to be further down the road with Championship preparations than Mayo. I wouldn't read too much into that match as Mayo will be a different team later in the year. Mayo do however need a few forwards. Some poor wides. The 2 minute delay was for both teams to shake hands after the match before letting the children onto the field as announced at halftime. Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 845 - 15/02/2026 18:08:39 2656622 Link
Replying To Commodore: "I don't think that game today is an accurate reflection of where Mayo are at regarding Championship, I wouldn't read anything into today's game. I expect Mayo will be a very different animal come summer. Delighted that Donegal got the 2 points, definitely improvement on the Kerry game performance." Ah i know that but lack of threat up front in first half was frightening. All the pressure on O Donoghue to be creating and scoring. Mayo will be decent for summer but unless Conroy comes back with speed we are not pacy up front. TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8750 - 15/02/2026 18:49:21 2656635 Link
Replying To ahsure.: "Donegal not even in second gear and blew Mayo away with minimal fuss. Ye are motoring well lads Question - why the 2 min delay in letting kids on the pitch today? To get the players off?" I think the 2 minute delay request was to allow people time to get specific players over for the TV interviews, but not 100%. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1610 - 15/02/2026 20:40:47 2656668 Link
Another very early start for me to tune in but I was happy I did. Really good first half today against the elements. Playing through the hands was perfect for the day that was in it and we were excellent at it. Great to see Farah back and firing, Conor O'Donnell had his customary wided first effort but was exemplary thereafter......he's really blossoming into a top top player and one of the best forwards in the country. Plus of course an excellent league debut from the start for Conor McCahill. What a player he looks already but I hope his senior endeavours doesn't cost the under twenties. Defensively very solid and the usual high standards from the likes of Ryan and Langan. Definitely a mixed second half especially from our own kickouts inviting pressure when there shouldn't have been. However Mulreaney stood up well to the couple of goal chances Mayo created. I expect Mayo will be much much improved if we meet again down the line but it's the age old problem for them unearthing attacking talent. I'm hoping to get to the final game against Monaghan but the way things are looking I might get a day out in Croke Park too for a league final. It's hard to figure out if that's part of the plans but with the strength of the squad it's very possible looking at the table. panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2909 - 15/02/2026 22:12:33 2656685 Link
Strong performance again yesterday - you can see already there is lots of work/planning done. Kickouts is a worry - we seem to go through periods of mistakes and when we have assets of the size of our middle third - we should be able to dominate that sector. Special mention to my home club - put on a great show again yesterday, hats off to everyone involved. Point of note on attendance - I know game was officially sold out but there was plenty on space in the ground to accommodate at least another 1K fans , particularly at the Astro end. We meed to look at this for championship. eunans4ever (Donegal) - Posts: 1712 - 16/02/2026 08:10:53 2656711 Link
Replying To panamasam: "Another very early start for me to tune in but I was happy I did. Really good first half today against the elements. Playing through the hands was perfect for the day that was in it and we were excellent at it. Great to see Farah back and firing, Conor O'Donnell had his customary wided first effort but was exemplary thereafter......he's really blossoming into a top top player and one of the best forwards in the country. Plus of course an excellent league debut from the start for Conor McCahill. What a player he looks already but I hope his senior endeavours doesn't cost the under twenties. Defensively very solid and the usual high standards from the likes of Ryan and Langan. Definitely a mixed second half especially from our own kickouts inviting pressure when there shouldn't have been. However Mulreaney stood up well to the couple of goal chances Mayo created. I expect Mayo will be much much improved if we meet again down the line but it's the age old problem for them unearthing attacking talent. I'm hoping to get to the final game against Monaghan but the way things are looking I might get a day out in Croke Park too for a league final. It's hard to figure out if that's part of the plans but with the strength of the squad it's very possible looking at the table." I wouldn't get too carried away with chat of League finals, Mayo were not at full strength and the elements was a factor that first half. We got Dublin on opening league match, they came back strong at us and a understrength Kerry side came back strong at us, as did Mayo yesterday. We have tough games against Armagh, Galway, Roscommon and Monaghan still ahead. I would expect at least 3 of those teams to present a more complete 70 minute performance and not allow us to get ahead at HT, which will be likely if we are fielding more inexperienced players in those games for long periods. Mulreaney is really challenging for a starting place in the summer, in fact, I think Shaun Patton will be fighting now to get back in the team. McCahill had a brilliant debut, definitely looks like a bright addition, both him and Shea Malone injecting energy into our attack. Defensively Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1610 - 16/02/2026 12:18:59 2656767 Link
Replying To totalrecall: "A very disingenuous appraisal of a very good player, I wouldn't mind a player like him togging out for Donegal." Definitely unfair to call him a free kick merchant but I feel he has been over hyped. His biggest haul came against New York a couple of years ago. He probably looks a bit better given the rest of the Mayo forwards fall so short. Roarty marshalled him well yesterday and even outscored him from play. peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1442 - 16/02/2026 12:46:39 2656776 Link
Tipping along nicely Donegal. Have great time for you guys. Keep up the great work Shearer (Louth) - Posts: 906 - 16/02/2026 13:31:07 2656787 Link
Replying To Commodore: "I wouldn't get too carried away with chat of League finals, Mayo were not at full strength and the elements was a factor that first half. We got Dublin on opening league match, they came back strong at us and a understrength Kerry side came back strong at us, as did Mayo yesterday. We have tough games against Armagh, Galway, Roscommon and Monaghan still ahead. I would expect at least 3 of those teams to present a more complete 70 minute performance and not allow us to get ahead at HT, which will be likely if we are fielding more inexperienced players in those games for long periods. Mulreaney is really challenging for a starting place in the summer, in fact, I think Shaun Patton will be fighting now to get back in the team. McCahill had a brilliant debut, definitely looks like a bright addition, both him and Shea Malone injecting energy into our attack. Defensively" Mulreanny has been a very capable deputy, is a good shot stopper and a threat from long range frees. But the kick-out is the key attribute that a goalkeeper is measured by these days, and in that regard, I think Patton is still well ahead. Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10235 - 16/02/2026 13:33:22 2656788 Link
Replying To brayballer: "Mayo were Dubs closest rival and their style of play made it tough for us but they were not the second best team.I read somewhere recently where it said while Mayo could put it up to Dublin in that era they eere beaten by Galway,Roscommon,Kerry,Donegal and Kikdare in that era also." I wouldn't read anything into that. Mayo were just warming up for August/September in that 2014-2017 era, and by 2016-2017 tended to be vulnerable in May-June. For example, Galway ko'd Mayo in one CFC, won the Connacht title, and proceeded with an exit to Tipp. Mayo schooled Tipp a week or two later, and went on to lose another final to Dublin. Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4559 - 16/02/2026 14:14:17 2656802 Link
Replying To eunans4ever: "Strong performance again yesterday - you can see already there is lots of work/planning done. Kickouts is a worry - we seem to go through periods of mistakes and when we have assets of the size of our middle third - we should be able to dominate that sector. Special mention to my home club - put on a great show again yesterday, hats off to everyone involved. Point of note on attendance - I know game was officially sold out but there was plenty on space in the ground to accommodate at least another 1K fans , particularly at the Astro end. We meed to look at this for championship." The Stewarding for the match and the facilities yesterday were excellent. The terrace area's need to be segregated. Most supporters prefare watching the match at the side of the field. This meant that there were too many supporters at the side of the field and less at the astro section behind the goals. I believe the St Eunans club are getting proper steps and railing at the terrace area's. This will improve the terrace area's condiderably. Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 845 - 16/02/2026 14:58:09 2656813 Link
Replying To Lockjaw: "Mulreanny has been a very capable deputy, is a good shot stopper and a threat from long range frees. But the kick-out is the key attribute that a goalkeeper is measured by these days, and in that regard, I think Patton is still well ahead." I'd need to see the stats from both for proper comparison on kick-outs, Mulreanny isn't bad at short or medium range, and he saved us from conceding a couple of goals in the 2nd half yesterday. Patton has that long-range ability if the opposition do press up, but most teams counteract that now by pushing the keeper out to the 45 for kickouts. But its still a serious threat to have within our arsenal, as you never know when a team might leave that gap exposed. Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1610 - 16/02/2026 16:55:51 2656846 Link
Replying To Commodore: "I wouldn't get too carried away with chat of League finals, Mayo were not at full strength and the elements was a factor that first half. We got Dublin on opening league match, they came back strong at us and a understrength Kerry side came back strong at us, as did Mayo yesterday. We have tough games against Armagh, Galway, Roscommon and Monaghan still ahead. I would expect at least 3 of those teams to present a more complete 70 minute performance and not allow us to get ahead at HT, which will be likely if we are fielding more inexperienced players in those games for long periods. Mulreaney is really challenging for a starting place in the summer, in fact, I think Shaun Patton will be fighting now to get back in the team. McCahill had a brilliant debut, definitely looks like a bright addition, both him and Shea Malone injecting energy into our attack. Defensively" Mayo always have excuses when they lose even from our own fans. We should be beating Roscommon and Monaghan and if we do, with 10 points we lost certainly would be in a final. So a final definitely is on the horizon. Armagh have been poor lately too and Galway would be a toss up. Mulreaney was good but he's not going to displace Patton, let's be serious. Pattons kickouts are the best in the country. The new young boys did it well. We should have a good u20 year it would seem. I am still holding out some hope Paddy is coaxed back for championship. eddieSize5Balls (Donegal) - Posts: 290 - 16/02/2026 19:01:51 2656874 Link