It won’t be pretty but Kingdom will silence Donegal

What did the Ulster championship really tell us about Donegal?

The first team from the county to retain the Anglo-Celt Cup, the fact they did it from the preliminary rounds once more was a remarkable achievement for a group of players humiliated just over two years ago in a qualifier in Crossmaglen.

Jim McGuinness’ transformation of them has been phenomenal but Donegal’s rise has come at a time when Ulster football is at a seriously low ebb.

Tyrone and Armagh are mired at different stages of transition, Derry are their own worst enemy while Down have yet to formalise an effective defensive structure.

On the basis of the provinces, they are the in-form team but we would argue none of the provincial finals told us anything we didn’t already know about their winners.

Donegal will open their shoulders and play with some abandon against lesser opposition but Kerry aren’t such a rival.

Expect more Hyde than Jekyll from Donegal tomorrow. McGuinness is practical enough to realise Kerry have more firepower than his own men and will aim to stop Kerry in a low-scoring affair.

Colm Cooper can be expected to be given a lot of attention as much as in-form Paul Galvin while McGuinness may see Donnchadh Walsh as a player who spends too much time on the ball and can be turned over.

Donegal have been slow starters in all of their four games this summer as they size up their opponents and Jack O’Connor may see that as something to expose.

That said, they have only conceded two goals from play in the SFC under McGuinness and they’ll be like hen’s teeth tomorrow afternoon with Paul Durcan in brilliant form.

Don’t be shocked to see a cynical game too. Kerry have been getting it in the ear since the Tyrone game but Donegal were worse offenders against Tyrone in June.

O’Connor has shown himself to be the king of match-ups but such will be the chaos in the opening minutes that it may be some time before things settle and his pairings can work.

However, for all the comparisons being made between the Tyrone of 2003 and this Donegal team, Tyrone had classier players.

Donegal have certainly brought on a more professional ethic to their football but a system also needs it stars. Michael Murphy is one, Karl Lacey is another — but Kerry have a galaxy of them. With their confidence restored, their football showing more fluidity and back in Croke Park, they’ll be enthused about softening the coughs of Donegal’s nouveau riche even if it won’t be pretty.

Verdict: Kerry