We had enough chances to kill off the game, says McEniff

BRIAN McENIFF’S peaked cap is just visible amid the forest of microphones as he ponders on how his Galway ghost was almost laid to rest.

Twice before McEniff had taken Donegal teams to Croke Park in the All-Ireland series to play Galway and saw them beaten. Yesterday they were within touching distance of beating John O’Mahony’s side until Kevin Walsh’s steering kept Galway on course. McEniff feels a draw was a fair reflection. But those missed chances will stick in the craw this week.

“I am proud of the way the team battled. Of course, I am disappointed because we had a few chances to win it, but a draw is probably a fair result,” the Donegal manager said.

Some Donegal players didn’t even know they had lived to fight another day. One defender turned to his opponent to congratulate him and wish him all the best. His disappointment soon turned to delight.

But there was a lingering edge of disappointment in the Donegal dressingroom. Maybe there are not destined to win on August Bank Holidays. “We missed some very easy chances and we had an opportunity to kill the game with two minutes to go. But you learn from those things. I couldn’t fault the team for the effort, the way they battled back and responded to the challenge.”

John Haran had the opportunity at the end, but couldn’t bring himself to shoot. McEniff shrugs in a way that suggests he would rather the attention not be centred on a young player who has progressed in leaps and bounds over the past three months.

Last August, the Donegal dressing-room was a place of unbridled joy after drawing with Dublin. There was no celebratory mood yesterday, just a sense that there was unfinished business to complete.

“We made mistakes when we were at this stage last year. It was a new experience for us then, maybe we were a little naïve so we have to be wary that doesn’t happen us again,” said Kevin Cassidy, who after a shaky start gave a display worthy of his Allstar selection.

“There are some things that we still have to work on and we have a week to do that.”

Cassidy does feel Donegal’s superior fitness told towards the end. Even in the searing heat, they found an extra gear with 10 minutes to go. However, with Galway’s rustiness being wiped off for next week’s replay, that mightn’t be such a factor again.

Castlebar awaits an interesting sequel.