It was just a three point defeat in old money - Matt Gallagher

Donegal lost out to Galway by seven points on Sunday in a hurricane in Salthill but former Donegal player, Matt Gallagher, who played through good and bad conditions, points out that without the two pointers it was just a three point defeat.

“I wasn’t expecting much when I saw the team. It’s a tough place to go normally but with the conditions, the team selection, it looked bad, but in old money you were beaten by about three points,” was the summation of former Donegal All-Star full-back,  Matt Gallagher, on the result.

“Neil McGee was interviewed before the game and harped on about the two pointers and it was prophetic,” said Gallagher, who said you would always play against the wind in those circumstances and hope that you would settle.

“The wind seemed to die a little in the second half and Galway got what we couldn’t do against the wind, they got three or four scores. Shane Walsh was unmarkable and we weren’t able to get the two pointers needed. We didn’t even get a free kick in that area in the second half; you would think on a day like that you would get one at least.”

Gallagher felt that Galway were very aggressive in a good way in the tackle and sharp and Donegal didn’t cope with that well.

“When Shane Walsh plays like that it is a joy to watch. He is an unbelievable player with an unbelievable skill set. The physical contact doesn’t bother him,” said Gallagher who feels that Galway have been helped this year by the fact that Corofin and Kilmacud Crokes didn’t go deep into the club championship this year.

“It has given Padraic Joyce extra time to work with them. They have been beaten in two of the last three All-Ireland finals. When you think that Damien Comer and Shane Walsh weren’t at their best last year and they lost Finnerty to injury in the final, they were missing their three main threats. You have Cillian McDaid to come back as well.

“They have really big men around the middle of the field and now with the kick-out the way it is, that is a huge advantage.”

Gallagher felt the red card issued to Matthew Tierney for the challenge on Hugh McFadden was very harsh. “He probably got a better slap from the other guy. I thought a yellow card would have been sufficient,” said Gallagher.

DERRY

Donegal’s attention  turns to Derry this week and Gallagher said he watched them against Galway two weeks ago and was impressed with their second half performance when they came back from the dead and the game ended level.

“They turned the game around and their midfield of Conor Glass and big Anton Tohill, they broke a lot of ball and Derry picked up and were very aggressive and really should have won the game. Again Shane Walsh came to the rescue for Galway.

“I’m expecting a tough battle. The supporters might be over thinking this game more than the managers. I don’t think it’s going to have a huge bearing on the championship match (which is on April 6th).

“Championship matches are always different. For championship matches you would be hoping to have everybody fit; you might take a chance on a fella that is 75% fit whereas on Sunday Donegal won’t be taking that risk anyway. You would think that another point on the table would leave them safe.

“Derry will be desperate after winning the league title last year to stay in Division 1. They will be fighting for survival now. That’s going to be a big factor.

“When Lachlann Murray came on for Derry in the second half against Galway they looked impressive especially when they ran direct,” said Gallagher.

The Naomh Brid man was full-back when Donegal and Derry met in Ballyshannon and the result of that game (0-11 to 0-3 in favour of Donegal) saw Derry relegated to Division 2. Around that time there was a very healthy rivalry between the two counties.

“That was fadó, fadó. There was rivalry. Sometimes it wasn’t that healthy. Obviously, sometimes you will be looking at what you could do in the championship match down the road, but I think at the minute it’s just a one off game.

“I would like to see Donegal put out a strong side and establish themselves. If you can keep beating a team, it leads to a winning mentality. For a while there we couldn’t beat Derry and now we are beating them. It was the same with Armagh. I’m not being negative or derogatory towards those teams. You like to keep that dominance going if you can.

“But I don’t expect anything but a tough battle from Derry. They have won two All-Ireland minor titles and they are always competing well at U-20 level. They are bound to have some pedigree coming.

“They have to get the scoring load off Shane McGuigan, who is a fantastic player. If they can do that they will be a force. Two pointers are now crucial; we didn’t kick enough of them on Sunday,” said Gallagher.

RULES

Being a former county defender, Gallagher played in a time when man-marking was his forte and you get the feeling that he is glad to see a return to the old style of defending.

“We will see more in the next three games when things get tight. There’s more on the line now for the likes of Derry on Sunday, for Tyrone away to Galway, for Mayo against Kerry. Those three teams can’t afford to lose so they may have to tinker with the rules  in terms of being more cynical. When that comes it  will be interesting to see how the rules pan out.

“The two point kicking is great but we are not seeing a lot of goals. Obviously Kerry got a good few at the weekend but apart from two goal chances in the Donegal-Galway game, there weren't a lot of goal chances in the Galway-Derry game or Kerry-Donegal. You would have thought that there would be more goal chances and more goals scored.

“But it seems to be a case of more trying to kick the two-pointer. Teams are setting the defensive line on the 40m arc. I would just like to see more goals.

“I have to say I like the solo and go. Handing the ball back to the opponent, I’m struggling with that one. I also think if you get a free kick inside the 40m arc, if you’re going to take it out it has to be the man that was fouled that has to kick it.

“I’m a fan of the new kick-out. It makes it more interesting now because teams are pushing up on the kick-out. I think in one of the games at the weekend, Armagh against Mayo, I heard on the radio coming up the road last night that Armagh won 60% of Mayo’s kick-outs and kicked five or six points and Mayo did exactly the same in the second half.

“So it is a real old lottery now and that creates more entertainment.  There’s more crowd involvement and we’re getting to see Paddy McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Shane Walsh, Shane McGuigan, Lachlann Murray, obviously David Clifford for Kerry, Bugler for Dublin. The scoretaking is fantastic and that is happening because they have more space with three less defenders.”

Gallagher noted also the point that Padraic Joyce changed the Galway goalkeeper at half-time on Sunday. “You might see a bit of that happening.

“Overall, I’m a fan of the new rules but it will be tough on referees,” said Gallagher, who felt the 50 yard penalty for not giving the ball back or stopping the solo and go is a bit harsh. “But it is definitely making players think. It’s speeding the game up and that can only be a good thing. It is asking a huge lot of some of those players in the middle third. It would be interesting to see the stats on those players in contrast to this time last year in the league.

“The forward mark, I’m not really a fan of that but it hasn’t been used much so far. The one thing that has been made clear is that defenders are going to have to defend now,” said Gallagher.