Orchard won’t pip us: McEniff

BRIAN McENIFF believes he and his Donegal team are far better equipped for Armagh on Sunday than last year’s All-Ireland semi-final meeting.

McEniff, who led the county to Sam Maguire glory in 1992, admits the intensity of Armagh’s play caught him by surprise when he returned to the managerial hot seat last year.

“In the All-Ireland final and semi-final the previous year I’d shouted my heart out for Armagh and then all of a sudden I’m standing in McCool Park on a February day and we’re playing the All-Ireland champions and I realised the intensity of the game,” McEniff admitted in Dublin yesterday.

“Armagh were working so hard off the ball to regain possession. That was the first time in 10 years that I realised where the game was at.

“When I was in Croke Park I was there as a spectator and I had some cold, hard lessons to learn from that and it took us until probably October or November of last year to address those problems.

“We had a rugby union coach from Wales in with us over the last few weeks and that’s not because we want to get physical, it’s the kind of game being played out there and you have to cope with it. We’re better equipped to take the physical contact now than we were a year ago.”

This Donegal team are better equipped in every way. McEniff reluctantly took over the reins again last year only three weeks before the National League started and they paid the price for their lack of preparations.

They were relegated from the top flight before losing a horrendous championship tie to Fermanagh.

The recovery was as swift as it was unexpected. Within weeks McEniff had worked the oracle, taking his side to Croke Park where they were pipped by the Orchard County.

“We would be a better team now but what I would say about the All-Ireland semi-final last year is that it was a game we could have won,” said McEniff.

“I didn’t say it was a game we should have won. Armagh would have had a lot more possession than we did but we’re a lot better a side this year.

“But Armagh are a better and hungrier side too this year.”

Donegal certainly look the part. Six promising Under-21s, as well as Kevin Cassidy’s older brother Stephen, have been ushered into the squad to inject some youthful vigour and keep the regulars on their toes.

All-Ireland champions Tyrone have already succumbed to them, yet as McEniff alluded to, Armagh are still a force to be reckoned with.

Yesterday, Joe Kernan explained again how he manages to keep the ship at full steam with many of the same faces that were aboard five years ago.

“The average age is 25 from the 30 on the panel so they’re fairly old, alright,” he quipped.

“After last year’s defeat in the All-Ireland, we said that we wanted to give it one more go and, certainly, from the start of the championship we wanted to be in the Ulster final.

“Every team in the country makes those decisions but only a very few are lucky enough to get there. We’ve done well enough so far but Sunday is a different ball game. We’ll have to play better than we have done so far if we’re going to win.”

Regardless of the result, of course, Sunday’s game is already assured of its place in history thanks to its location.

This won’t be the first time the Ulster decider has been held at Croke Park however.

Armagh and Cavan played a replay at headquarters 65 years ago. This was after the counties failed to agree on a satisfactory venue after the first game was abandoned in Castleblaney.

With the ‘full house’ signs expected to be erected come Sunday, Kernan can certainly see the benefits of bringing the Ulster decider down south again, even if McEniff is not happy with the decision to bypass Clones.

“Clones has been very good and very lucky for us as well, but the decision has been made and you can’t change it,” he said.

However, Kernan said: “The thing is, more people will now be able to see the game live. There will be thousands of kids and families there from Armagh and Donegal and that’s a good thing for the game in the long run.”

“As an Ulsterman I would sooner play the Ulster championship final in Ulster,” said McEniff.

“The players themselves would prefer to play it in Croke Park though, and that’s all that matters,” he added.

The GAA have announced that the Ticket Office in Croke Park has sold out its allocation of tickets for Sunday’s Bank of Ireland Ulster football final.