Dublin Vs Donegal

What a game this will be, After watching both games today I can see Dublin hates the high ball coming in on them; Boner is a very smart manager and he has changed this Donegal team for the good, great balance with attack and defence. I can imagine Dublin struggling with high balls coming into Murphy and McBrearty with Ryan McHugh and Co on the counter attack. Really looking forward to this one, I think Donegal will come out on top by a goal.

oakleafersir (Derry) - Posts: 808 - 25/06/2018 00:00:30    2114452

The very fact of being in the Super 8's will be a huge benefit to Donegal in that they will get to play 3 games against good sides.

With all due to respect to Cavan, Derry & Fermanagh those gamesreally served to give Denegal a chance to settle on their best 15. It's hard to remember now but before the Cavan game we had no idea of who was playing wheras they now look a settled team who are improving with every outing. Some of the football they are playing is brilliant & while we all enjoyed the JMcG era it is great to be playing open attacking football.

I still think they will need this year to come to their best & would worry a bit about them in defence but getting the first game against Dublin at the "neutral" Croke Park will be a great occasion.

After the qualifier draw this morning all the top guns have avoided each other & the Super 8's looks like it will be a great competition. It's bonus territory for Donegal but a while semi final is not beyond them I fear that beating Dublin may be.

Dublin by 6

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 25/06/2018 08:48:09    2114495

Congrats to Donegal on winning Ulster, they are putting a really good team together. Dublin will be warm favourites for this one but with the lethal forwards Donegal posess they'll always have a chance in every game. This has the makings of a cracking game.

GeniusGerry (Kerry) - Posts: 2124 - 25/06/2018 09:22:24    2114511

Can only see one winner, Donegal by as much as they want ha ha. As I have said in other posts it is really difficult to tell where Donegal are at and Dublin is a massive step up in level from the teams we have beaten so far. Donegal have been impressive so far this year but the reality is that we haven't played a Division 1 side yet. We have the makings of a really good side but might be next year before we can really challenge.

I think this will be quite an open and attacking game. I do fancy Donegal to get a couple of goals but also think Dublin could cut through us at the back. If Donegal play to their very best and Dublin are below par then we have a chance.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1951 - 25/06/2018 09:45:52    2114517

Cracking game on the cards here and I think we'll give a good account of ourselves but ultimately won't be able to keep the Dubs score down enough to beat them. However we'll give them a fair old rattle and I think you'll see Murphy in the full forward line a bit more than he was in the Ulster final. We haven't been tested at all in Ulster but we did well in the league and didn't get the results to show for that. Since then the team has really settled down and are playing with huge confidence, the harder ground and fast pace of Championship suits these players too so I'm excited to see what we can do on the biggest stage against the best team in the country.

I'm guessing Cluxton will be back for this one?

JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 25/06/2018 10:01:40    2114528

Been a great year so far for us but I don't think we are far enough advanced to beat this Dublin team. Can us playing some good football and getting some nice scores but Dublin will get too much possession and too many scores, with likely a couple of goals. If their shooting is like what it was against Laois for the first 20 mins but for the whole game then we have a chance. Dublin by 6-9

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1456 - 25/06/2018 10:06:57    2114530

Tough games coming up

No doubting this Dubs team will relish the opportunity to go hard at it. Extra game time and match sharp fitness to be built up

A refreshing change at this time of the year for this Dublin panel and a great opportunity to build up momentum and flex the panel muscle.

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 25/06/2018 10:13:21    2114533

Neil McGee will be back, would have concerns for McBreartys fitness though

stekhli (Dublin) - Posts: 3121 - 25/06/2018 10:32:44    2114543

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10483 - 25/06/2018 10:55:30    2114557

Great game to look forward to , I've been raving about donegal for awhile now , pace all over their team and brilliant players in the right position's.

This is going to go down to the wire , we don't have our best player anymore it makes a huge difference in the big games yes we've still outstanding players but Connolly can do things that non of the rest of them can.

Mchugh v McCaffrey Racing for the ball will be worth the admission fee also Eoin Ban v Mannion speed speed speed some battle.


Big bonus for Dublin was Costello yesterday he could have a big say on the super 8's.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 25/06/2018 11:08:46    2114570

Well done to Donegal in their Ulster win. Seems like they are motoring well this year and have some fine new players which I was unfamiliar with up to now.

Maybe a year too early for them to challenge the dubs but I would fancy them to make it to the semis as they would fancy themselves for their home game against any other county in the country but alot to happen before then

The dubs with two home games should top the group with this big advantage.

It will be interesting to see who will end up in these groups with the provincial winners.

KY4SAM2015 (Kerry) - Posts: 898 - 25/06/2018 12:07:39    2114618

A game to savour but I think Dublin are that bit further down the line with the best manager in the country compared to a Donegal team & manager who are still finding their feet a bit. Don't forget Donegal got relegated only a few weeks to go.

I do think there is a great team in the making in Donegal & I'm really looking forward to the next few years but right now Dublin are better with a bit to spare.

Funnily enough it is in defence that Donegal are still a bit short compared to the best. I watched Kerry on Sat evening & they were tigerish in defence. Donegal don't have that yet but if & when they do develop that side of their game then they will be the complete package.

Really looking forward to the Dublin game & who knows, maybe we can dust down the spirit of 2014 & put one over the Boys in Blue.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 25/06/2018 12:11:58    2114619

HandballRef (Donegal) - Posts: 561 - 25/06/2018 12:11:59    2114620

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13850 - 25/06/2018 12:19:51    2114630

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 10483 - 25/06/2018 12:38:22    2114635

Proper game proper match ups , no phoney wars from here on in , this is were football can begin to put itself back in the spotlight, been both suprised and impressed by Donegal , where they have a chance is athleticism they have it and won't wilt as many do in last 20 v Dublin ,Cian o Sullivan and Cluxtons fitness big factors on how game will pan out as they along with Fenton are crucial to us , will back the Dubs by a few points , think it may not be the prettiest game you will ever see but think it will be fast and tougher than anything we've seen this year ,

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 25/06/2018 12:55:44    2114643

Since 2011 people have been saying our fullback line was weak and that Dublin were poor under the high ball. Only got worse after the ROC left.

Don't see too many teams exploiting this weakness down through the years. So either they are not as weak as people say or other teams are stupid in how they play us.

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 25/06/2018 12:58:21    2114646

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13850 - 25/06/2018 13:08:04    2114649

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1951 - 25/06/2018 13:26:28    2114655

This is the first year in a long time that we are going into a quarter final or the equivalent of with a fighting chance. It will be an entirely different Donegal side to the ones we saw coming in in 2013, 2015 or 2016 to Croke park - a team with a 6 day turnaround after playing a hatful of games. yes we have played 4 already, but our opposition this year has been much kinder to us.

I feel that we are in a position of no pressure also. The team looked very laid back and relaxed last night in donegal town.

We will not be going to play Dublin to keep the scoreline respectable either. The fact that our first 2 games in the super 8s are both away fixtures is unfortunate, but on the balance of our performances and where we are at, who cares.

Lot of speculation about where the dubs are at this year without Connolly. I am not sure it makes much difference to be honest. Also, Cluxton's no 2 looked pretty good yesterday. They have only first world problems to contend with. The only enemy they have is their own complacency. This is an unlikely factor this time though.

With Tyrone, Monaghan or mayo potentially in the group, we are looking at a very tight finish to the super 8 series. I hope we can get a win in Croke park to start off with.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3862 - 25/06/2018 13:30:12    2114659