Ulster Minor Football Championship semi-final: Donegal v Tyrone (tonight, Celtic Park, 7pm)
WHAT will prove to be of greater benefit? The rest or the test? The answer to this question should be known before it gets dark in Celtic Park tonight as Donegal and Tyrone line out to do battle for a place in the Ulster minor football final.
Tyrone have had the rest. The Reds Hands’ last run out was in their round two demolition of Antrim at Corrigan Park a fortnight ago. That win, coupled with their first round victory over Cavan, earned Gerry Donnelly’s men an Ulster semi-final spot with the minimum of fuss.
Donegal have had the test. Defeat to Derry on May 7 meant Tír Chonaill had to play an extra round to guarantee a place in the last four. That came last Saturday, with an impressive 4-12 to 3-7 victory over a highly-rated Monaghan side in Clones.
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Both sides will probably feel that their respective routes to this stage have served them well, while keeping a wary eye on the preparations of their opponents. Speaking earlier this week, Gerry Donnelly emphasised how highly Tyrone regard Donegal, while his opposite number Luke Barrett has said the Red Hands have more than earned the right to be hot favourites ahead of what he expects to be a “titanic battle”.
Tyrone are the defending provincial champions and they will, no doubt, be desperate to emulate their senior and U20 counterparts in capturing an All-Ireland title following the heartache of last year’s one-point final defeat to Meath in Croke Park.
Caolan Donnelly and Michael McElhatton are among the major danger men for Tyrone and were to the fore in putting the Saffrons to the sword the other week. While Antrim were undoubtedly poor that afternoon, Cavan gave the young Red Hands a sterner test in the first round game and the defending Ulster champions still came out comfortably on top.
Tyrone’s entire total of 3-17 against the Breffni boys came from play in what was an impressive display of ruthless finishing. Captain Eoin McElholm led by example that day in Healy Park, kicking 1-6 over the course of the game, while Noah Grimes is another one to watch. The elusive forward finished with 1-4 against Cavan and has a potent relationship with McElholm that would give any defence in the country a serious headache.
Donegal will obviously have spent some time pondering methods of keeping this fierce scoring machine relatively quiet this evening but, as they demonstrated last weekend against Monaghan, Tír Chonaill have a serious forward line of their own to bring to the table.
All four of Donegal’s majors against the Farney came in the first-half, with Karl Joseph Molloy, Ryan Barrett, Daithí Gildea and Cian Magee doing the damage for the north-westerners.
The challengers may think that that a similarly fast and furious approach can give them the best chance of knocking Tyrone out of their stride, which would make for a cracking blow-for-blow encounter.
Luke Barrett has said no-one is giving Donegal a prayer going into this game but, one thing is for sure, Tyrone won’t be taking their challenge lightly.
