Moran says fans kept us going

IT could be argued there was no winner in what was billed as the main event in Croke Park yesterday with Donegal and Dublin having to do it all again in a couple of weeks.

But that was not the case. There were winners all round, as two fine sporting sides enjoyed the new Croke Park for the second time in a few weeks, there was a capacity crowd of nearly 80,000, and visitors Donegal came back to catch the home side in a nail-biting finish.

And this is very much Dublin's home patch. Talk of National Stadium or not, when the boys in blue are in Croker, when Hill 16 is rocking to the rhythm "come on you boys" ringing out over the city, Dublin are at home, and it is one of the great sights in GAA.

Yesterday, however, they did not have things their own way, on or off the pitch. Outplayed for much of the game, two goals kept them in touch as Donegal racked up fourteen scores to ten. At crucial periods, the Dubs were also out-shouted as a massive Donegal contingent, supplemented by Cork and Mayo elements in the old Pale/Culchie divide, lifted their side to a heroic finish.

"Lazarus" was Donegal manager Mickey Moran's one-word summation of that injury-time comeback.

"Funny, this was the first time in my life I turned around and noticed the crowd, and I must say, it was some lift," Moran said.

"Donegal are a reticent people, they don't really show their emotions in an overt way, but they stood up there today, and they roared and they roared. It was absolutely fantastic, but there was also massive support from Dublin, and isn't that what the championship is about? Double-header, single-header, here or anywhere else, we won't mind coming down here again, as long as we're still in it as long as we win!"

The first time we really became aware of that massive Donegal support was when sub Damian Diver was introduced just three minutes into the game, centre-back Barry Monaghan forced off with a groin injury. There was massive green-and-gold cheer, and the dark man from Ardara went on to have a scorcher.

"It was the first time I ever experienced noise like it. When we came out onto the pitch, it was lethal altogether, the roar that comes at you. You even see Corkmen shouting for you when we're getting the picture taken, and that gives you extra heart, knowing you have the other counties shouting for you. But in fairness, Dublin had great support too, they probably outnumbered the rest of us put together," Diver said.

He hit the track running, scoring the second Donegal point, and adding another in a generally impressive

performance.

Most impressive for Donegal however was corner-forward Adrian Sweeney, five points from play in a man-of-the-match show.

But just as he had been for the Dublin defenders all day, Ady was too fast for the media afterwards, gone before he could be cornered.

Full-forward Brendan Devenney however, did the talking for him.

"I never thought the game was gone from us," Devenney said when asked about his feelings after Dublin had got their second goal, from a Donegal defensive slip-up, with only six minutes left on the clock.

"I'm quite optimistic when I'm playing, seen enough good comebacks all year, Sligo yesterday. You always think if you can get one point, that brings you back, brings the crowd back into it, and we got that fairly rapidly, from Paul (McGonigle)," he said.

"Then Ady popped up with a couple, but he's been player of the year for me, all season."

Last word to captain Michael Hegarty, on the prospect of a return to Croke Park.

"Still there. Everybody always knew we were a good football team, but probably thought we were lacking a bit of spirit. But like we did against Meath, we showed here again today there's good spirit in this side. We'll keep battling to the end, and hopefully things will go well the next day," Hegarty said.

"Great days for the north-west, with Sligo coming back also. We were watching that, they probably should have won too, but that's the way these things go. Back now the next day, magnificent stadium, huge crowd, the buzz. Great to be involved on days like this, that's what you play for. The two teams supporting each other; hopefully we'll both get through."