Driven Donegal are a force of nature

As they waited to enter the Donegal dressing-room last Sunday to congratulate the victors, members of the Cork backroom could hear the voice of opposing manager Jim McGuinness behind the door.

The Donegal boss wasn’t crowing, or demeaning his beaten opponents, or laying down the law about the hype his players could expect in the coming weeks. He was reminding his men of what he’d predicted before the game — that they’d turn the ball over against Cork, and when they did the supporters in green and gold all over Croke Park would roar them on and energise them.

One member of the Cork management admitted later that McGuinness was correct that in all his time in football it was the one time the Corkman had seen a crowd and team working in tandem, almost.