Éamonn Fitzmaurice: Donegal can't allow Kerry to put the hex on them
TIGHT REIN: Brendan McCole may not have kept a tight enough rein on David Clifford in last July's All-Ireland final but the Donegal defender is still the man to tage the Kingdom's talisman. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
After the round two National League match last month in Ballyshannon, Jim McGuinness and Jack O’Connor were in effusive form.
While Donegal won the match Kerry, lead by the inspirational Seán O’Shea, had fought back to make the long journey home a good bit more palatable. Rest assured, for these two ultra competitors it will only be the winning boss that will be happy this weekend.
The losing bainisteoir may paint an apathetic picture to the media but behind that facade there is an undoubted determination to beat each other, for very different reasons.
As outlined this week by Patrick McBrearty, Donegal have a winter of residual hurt and regret put down through them since last July to fuel them.
Another Croke Park defeat to Kerry and it will start to feel like they have the indian sign over them. McGuinness will want to avoid that at all costs in Croke Park on Sunday.
Right now, there is a feeling of inevitability that the two will meet in knock-out football down the track. As a result the Kerry boys won’t want to give their biggest challengers an ounce of encouragement. Add that to the fact that they love playing and winning in Croke Park and you have two teams that will be fully determined to win.
This league campaign, especially in the first five games, Donegal have been hugely impressive. Some of the issues exposed in that final have been fixed - or at least prospective solutions have been explored.
The last time they were in Croke Park for the first league game against Dublin they showed their willingness to push out and go man-on-man with the home side. This was in stark contrast to their deeper zonal defence last season. In the meantime they have peeled that back a bit.
Their system now resembles the man and a half method as championed by Dave Morris. In this system backs are responsible for a man, sometimes the nearest man, but when the ball goes inside them they must get back and help.
In addition if their man is a pass away, such as one of the wide players on the weak side they tuck in to help clog up the middle. So account for your man but once he is out of the game help elsewhere. A job and a half.
Finnbarr Roarty played under 20 against Monaghan this week but if he plays Sunday he can be central to this. Get tight on a Seán O’Shea or similar, help where he can and then when they have the ball go the other way.
Caolán McColgan is also good at this and was used in this type of role last day out against Monaghan.
While Paudie Clifford will be missing there are plenty of other conductors for Donegal to worry about, including Tom O’Sullivan.
The other huge differentiator in last year's All-Ireland final was how good Kerry were in the middle of the field, both in the air and on the ground. Jason McGee couldn’t start last season and was a loss. He made a major difference in the second half and was one of the main reasons Donegal got it back to four points.
McGuinness didn’t start Hugh McFadden which robbed him of further physicality in that middle area.
McGee is playing the best football of his career and is an excellent long kickout option. It will be interesting to see what they do with Joe O’Connor on the Kerry restart as he is critical to getting hands on ball, sometimes from 10 and more often now from the middle of the field.
A further interesting change in dynamics is the fact that Shaun Patton has missed the entire league with injury. In the meantime Gavin Mulreanny has been excellent in goals. He has developed the ability to chip a left-footed short kick out to the No 2 position. Croke Park is made for those type of kicks and I expect him to try a few in the decider. This will keep the Kerry press honest. They can’t cheat across before he takes the kick.
Earlier in the league, Donegal’s slick attack was mesmerising to watch. The constant movement of man and ball is hard to defend against. They run at excellent angles and at pace. They wrap around the man in possession. They avoid contact. Their hand passing accuracy is top level. They put nothing up for grabs and they have the ability to shred an opposition with pace and precision.
In last July’s final, Kerry were excellent at holding their position and passing the man on the ball to each other. It took massive communication and understanding. I think they will find it harder this time in terms of being at that pitch of cohesiveness at this stage of the season.
It is a fools errand trying to call the Division One final. I fancy Kerry but Donegal will put them to the pin of their collar. It will make for some contest.
The Stats and Solos website has an excellent bank of statistics and performance metrics, not least around two point shooting. Another great resource is GAA League Tables on that always keep us up to date on the League Tables, but who also did an in-depth comparison of all 32 teams in the league this season compared to 2025. It makes for fascinating reading. Some of the fluctuations were crazy. Last year Leitrim scored one two pointer in the league. This year they scored 19, a jump of 1,800%.
What stood out though was the fact that Meath were the only team in Ireland to improve on last year's numbers across each one of the metrics, goals for and against, two points for and against, total score for and against and scoring difference. There was an inverse shift in some related metrics for many teams.
For example, Kerry’s goals were down (-44%) but their twos were up (+200%). Interestingly the Royals made incremental improvements - the David Brailsford marginal gains - across all of the numbers. The biggest improvement they made was in terms of two-pointers conceded, which they reduced by 22%, which speaks to their aggressive defending of the arc. The numbers are backing up what we are seeing with our eyes.
As I have mentioned more than once here, they are ticking so many of the boxes required in the modern game. They are tight and aggressive at the back, while also being systematic. They have a variety and abundance of kick-out targets and are good on breaking ball. They can score twos, they are willing to kick inside. They score goals, ten so far. They can go quick and they can play slow.
They have depth in their panel. In Ruairí Kinsella and Jordan Morris they have two of the most exciting and in-form forwards in the country. And Robbie Brennan’s positive energy is permeating through the whole group.
The fact that Croke Park is now a home venue for them is good for their long term prospects, but it also gives them an edge against Cork in Sunday's Division 2 final, it being their fourth game there already in 2026.
With all that said Cork will equally fancy their chances. They won the regulation game in Páirc Uí Rinn. There is never much between the sides. Looking back over the games in league and championship over the last five seasons there has been only once when more than four points separated the sides, the 2022 league game which Meath won by eight.
Cork match up well to them, especially in terms of that midfield battle. That was a telling factor the last day. Meath only won 58% of their own kickout. On Sunday, whichever forward line gets more ball has the firepower to do damage.
While championship will be coming to the forefront of their minds neither side can afford to turn their nose up the national silverware. Meath won the Tailteann Cup in 2023, but their last national trophy before that was Sam Maguire in 1999.
Similarly, Cork won the Division 3 title in 2020 and before that it was Division One cup in 2012. Win tomorrow, collect the cup and head for championship brimming with confidence.
On Saturday evening the Division 3 and 4 finals take place. Down have a significant advantage over the other teams, including their opponents Wexford, in terms of big game and Croke Park experience.
This will count and a game that puts them in Sam Maguire football just has to be won. Wexford are in bonus territory and the two teams are at different stage of their development cycles.
The Division 4 game is harder to read. Both teams have the potential to cut loose in Croke Park. The joy and excitement of getting to play there should bring the best out of both sides.
Longford’s endgame last weekend underlines the spirit in the group but Carlow’s body of work has been more impressive so far in 2026.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
