One galway point player took 8 steps

highdropingball (Donegal) - Posts: 109 - 15/07/2024 00:50:15    2559173

Thanks to Jim and the lads for a great year and all their efforts. I'm sure everyone will admit they exceeded our expectations and hopefully this year gives us a solid platform to build upon.

On the game yesterday, I felt all through the game that Galway were there for the taking. Comer and Walsh are nowhere near full operating capacity.

From some strange reason at no point during the game did we have a sense of urgency. Normally we do that at certain times during the game. Not one long kick out hit either. I think if we built up a bit of a cushion, there would have been no way back for Galway. Even with the fortuitous goal.

But best of luck to them in the final. If fully fit they have the best squad at the moment in the country.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 958 - 15/07/2024 08:11:30    2559182

Brilliant to see 2 teams going gung ho to play football. Some of the point taking was sublime. When you see the sh..E that Derry and Kerry served up a few weeks ago it would restore confidence in the beautiful game of football. Fine margins in the end. Free against MC Hugh was harsh I thought. The free for the ball touching the ground was very unfortunate but the correct call. So many Donegal players stood up this year and you still have a coveted Ulster title. Best team won yesterday, not by much though.

Taypot (Sligo) - Posts: 30 - 15/07/2024 08:52:14    2559188

Plus the goal was a complete fluke. I wouldn't blame the keeper, just one of those things that happen in the blink of an eye

Taypot (Sligo) - Posts: 30 - 15/07/2024 08:53:46    2559189

Difficult day yesterday and nearly harder this morning to take. It was there for the taking and it'll kill them over the winter when they watch it back. Huge opportunity. We blinked a bit when the push came to shove. Very fine margins, the Gallen free, the Thompson non-free, the fortuitous goal. Incredibly fine margins. As someone previously mentioned, when we needed that turbo charge for home, it didn't really come and that's the part we need to figure. It echoed a few memories of the Dublin 2011 fade in the final 8/10 mins. Hopefully next year follows the way the 2011 Dublin defeat did.

Thank you to the players and management for a terrific year overall. Promotion, Div 2 title, Ulster Champions, topped our group, minutes from an All Ireland Final, very satisfying progress this year. Well done to all involved for the tremendous effort.

A word on the Galway fans, very gracious winners. Possibly the nicest I've come across in all my years at games anyway. Never had so many shaking hands on the way out. No gloating, sound people and would probably like them to go and win it now. Very difficult team to beat. Joyce proving his worth.

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1378 - 15/07/2024 09:25:57    2559196

Have to laugh by the poster saying not a soft goal lol some eejits believe themselves these days... the Galway player didn't even celebrate it...
Well done Galway but boy they are extremely negative and defensive..Donegal beat themselves yesterday, possibly the occasion got to them a little , conceded at least 3 very questionable frees which Galway scored from. An accumulation of all this added to the result.
I don't want this to sound sour but imo Galway are a very ordinary team who got the rub of the green yesterday regarding decisions and got all the breaking balls etc, Donegal are just not there yet but yesterday will stand to us...

letterkennyGuy (Donegal) - Posts: 166 - 15/07/2024 09:26:05    2559197

Commiserations to Donegal, a county I have great fondness and regard for. At times yesterday, in the first half especially, it looked as if there was a magnet drawing the ball over the posts into Hill 16. A lot to work on there for next year when Jimmy will win even more matches.

Triffic (Galway) - Posts: 149 - 15/07/2024 09:39:01    2559201

A few thoughts on the game...

I thought we were in a great place at half time. After Galway's fortuitous goal we recovered very well and looked very assured with our point taking. MCole was doing a magnificent job on Comer and we looked very competent in what we were doing.

The second half was definitely more nervy. I think as the minutes ticked by, when it was pretty much score for score and the finishing line came into view, our composure crucially deserted us. I think there was one fisted effort from Thompson, and maybe another two which dropped short which were real killers at that point of the match. Plus the incident where Eoghan Ban got injured - that was a great foul from a Galway perspective. From where I was sitting, and the angle Eoghan Ban was bursting through on, a goal was definitely on. So it was a double whammy for us, a great scoring opportunity lost, plus we lost one of our key men driving forward.

I think we needed some attacking impetus from the bench to really give Galway something new to think about. Conor O'Donnell was a huge miss in that regard. I really think we need to unearth some real quality inside forwards. Paddy can't go on forever, and God forbid if anything happened to Gallen we'd suddenly look very toothless. The trouble is though, are we producing those kinds of forwards anymore? We have an abundance of wing forward/wing back type "modern" players. I guess it's a result of how the game has evolved in the last decade or so, but you still need those killer type players at the top of the pitch. Do we have another Sweeney, McFadden, McBrearty coming up?

Finally, thanks again to Jim and the players for all their huge efforts. They have certainly restored pride in the jersey. Roll on 2025.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9432 - 15/07/2024 09:43:00    2559204

Taypot (Sligo) - Posts: 30 - 15/07/2024 10:14:11    2559219

McGuinness summed it up with our efficiency letting us down in the 2nd half, it was the old problem we had under Bonner as well, shooting deserting us when we needed it. But I think what that misses is that we were not engineering shots that were high percentage - and for Gallen and Langan, it was obvious that fatigue played a part, Gallen dropping one in short he would have scored in the first half no doubt. But that first half I thought was the best we've played all year against a really brilliant Galway outfit in my opinion

I know it comes off as sour grapes as well but the ref really annoyed me all day yesterday, and it wasn't even a decision everyone else is going on about that annoyed me the most. I only saw one replay from behind so it's hard to see but I didn't think McCole fouled Comer at all for that first Galway free of the 2nd half, straight off the throw-in? he put the hand in alright but dhia I thought considering the game and the good physicality and tackling, it was a ridiculous call for me. The McHugh one as well was just ridiculous in my view.

but we still had the opportunity in spite of that, those are minor moments that stick in my throat because I'm annoyed at them but really Galway took their opportunity and we didn't, that's what it came down to. they have a serious serious defence and we did not move the ball quickly enough to break it down, that's the winning and losing of it in the 2nd half

really disappointing but by god it was magic to be back in Croke Park for big big games this year and what an atmosphere yesterday, great craic with Donegal and Galway people and a good, hard, competitive game. míle buíochas do Jim agus na lads, I do agree with Jim when he says it's not about Year One and all that, it was this year, we had the opportunity so it's rough, but by the same token they gave it everything and that's all we ever want from them, and we'll dust ourselves off and go again this coming year

CCFabu (Donegal) - Posts: 127 - 15/07/2024 10:25:42    2559223

Very disappointing feeling waking up today. It really is small margins when you look at their goal from a miscued shot, free against Thompson, gallen missed free. We desperately need to find some more attacking options from the bench (easier said than done) to overcome the top teams as 1 point in the last 25 mins was the killer.

Overall a huge step forward this year and an interesting year ahead. With rule changes on the horizon, it will be interesting how we might adapt our play to gain an advantage.

Donegalexile (Donegal) - Posts: 1 - 15/07/2024 10:28:29    2559225

Have to laugh by the poster saying not a soft goal lol some eejits believe themselves these days... the Galway player didn't even celebrate it...
Well done Galway but boy they are extremely negative and defensive..Donegal beat themselves yesterday, possibly the occasion got to them a little , conceded at least 3 very questionable frees which Galway scored from. An accumulation of all this added to the result.
I don't want this to sound sour but imo Galway are a very ordinary team who got the rub of the green yesterday regarding decisions and got all the breaking balls etc, Donegal are just not there yet but yesterday will stand to us...

letterkennyGuy (Donegal) - Posts: 166 - 15/07/2024 10:47:22    2559232

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3846 - 15/07/2024 10:49:12    2559234

TheRock2121 (Donegal) - Posts: 1183 - 15/07/2024 10:59:11    2559237

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 958 - 15/07/2024 11:27:44    2559246

Ulsterchamps72 (Donegal) - Posts: 98 - 15/07/2024 11:40:05    2559252

greenfan (Donegal) - Posts: 546 - 15/07/2024 11:51:15    2559255

That was a tough defeat to take, always a long and painful journey back to the hills after a defeat like that. We played really well until the last 10 minutes but seemed to run out of steam near the end. Possibly the long hard season finally caught up with us. Galway looked sharper in those final 10 minutes, we tired and started hitting some bad wides.

The goal was an unfortunate one for us, Patton was expecting Tierney to catch it or get a touch but it sailed straight into the net. It is amazing how many goals we see from mishit point attempts. It was the defining score of the game even though our response to it was brilliant. Gallen and McBrearty really showed their class yesterday, some great points. Thompson and Shane O'Donnell were very good and Michael Langan outstanding. The defence did well, only conceeding 15 scores to a very good Galway attack is impressive.

Ultimately we only scored 5 points in the second half which wouldn't win you many big matches in Croke Park. The final 10/15 minutes we tired badly and started shooting wides. We couldn't really ask more of the players, they gave it everything.

The atmosphere was brilliant yesterday, well done to both sets of supporters, thought they really made the occasion yesterday. It really is great to be back at the business end of the championship. This team will surely only get better, most of the team never played in an All-Ireland semi final before and that inexperience told near the end. It has been a great season and I'm confident we are on an upward trajectory. We could do with a few more impact subs.

Congratulations to Galway.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1903 - 15/07/2024 11:55:53    2559257

It was a game of fine margins and we didn't get the breaks on the day. Just felt like things were going against us. From a few ref decisions to bounces of the ball to things not quite coming off for us at key moments, just felt like we were constantly swimming against the tide. But credit to Galway, to continue the analogy, they surfed the wave nicely and played an efficient game. It's always hard to come from nowhere and go all the way and Galway had that extra bit of experience from being there or thereabouts for a few years. As someone else mentioned, it all felt a bit 2011-ish in the last quarter. As the finish line approached we lacked a little bit of composure and the cogs in the wheel started to work independently of each other rather than together as the fatigue set in. It's disappointing because I think we were as good as Galway and on another day with a couple of the breaks going our way it might have been enough.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 15/07/2024 12:28:51    2559264

TheRock2121 (Donegal) - Posts: 1183 - 15/07/2024 12:34:59    2559266