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Two tribes go to war
26.03.11
GAA - All-Ireland SFC
semi-final
By Chris McNulty
MICHAEL Hegarty and Paddy McGrath are the main
injury concerns for Donegal manager Jim McGuinness
ahead of Sunday's All Ireland semi-final against
Dublin at Croke Park (3.30pm throw-in).
Hegarty has been struggling with a knee injury since
the quarter-final triumph over Kildare, while
McGrath tweaked a hamstring in training on Thursday.
Hegarty is suffering from bruising to the knee and
has been going to the salt water in the sea in a bid
to be fit for the joust with the Dubs. While the
Kilcar man is in a race against the clock, it is
understood that the veteran Kilcar man will be able
to line out in
attack. McGrath's place at corner back is under
threat from the ever-improving
Eamon McGee, who could be in line for a first start
of the year having impressed against Kildare as a
sub.
Captain Michael Murphy has recovered from a
hamstring injury that troubled him in the lead-up to
that game and kept him to a sub's role. |
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Jim McGuinness says his boys will
have to be "very vigilant" about the Dubs' pace. |
The big Glenswilly man
will start on the edge of the square against Pat
Gilroy's team, with Patrick McBrearty or David Walsh
to make way. Dermot Molloy and Christy Toye are also
showing well, as is the returned Leo McLoone, giving
McGuinness plenty of food for thought.
McGuinness is aware of the challenge the Dubs will
pose. "They definitely ask a lot of questions by the
pace at which they move the ball," said the Donegal
boss.
"Obviously that’s something we’re definitely going
to have to be very vigilant about."
The Dubs booked their place in the semis with a 0-22
to 0-15 dismantling of Tyrone in a game that saw
Diarmuid Connolly and the Brogans, Alan and Bernard,
in inspired form in attack.
McGuinness said: "There was a lot of comment after
the game and I would imagine that a lot of teams
would find it difficult to deal with a Dublin team
on form like that – winning primary possession and
moving it at the pace they did.
"I think that very few teams in the country would
have been able to deal with that on the night."
The game has been officially declared a sell-out by
GAA chiefs. Croke Park's 82,300 spaces will be
filled as the counties go to battle vying for a
place in the final – making it the biggest game of
the year so far by some distance.
The Donegal Co.Board has moved 12,000 tickets to
clubs, but with sales on line at tickets.ie and
ticketmaster.ie as well as sales through SuperValu
stores, the Donegal support at Sunday's final could
rise to around 25/30,000.
“There has been a massive take-up on tickets and the
game is a sell-out,” the GAA's Communications
Manager, Alan Milton, confirmed.
“It’s as quick a sell-out for a fixture outside of
an All-Ireland final as we’ve seen in recent years."
(Inishowen Independent) |
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