John O’Mahony and Jason Byrne join Shane to preview the Ulster clash between Donegal and Tyrone in the All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-finals.
John O’Mahony feels that Donegal’s mojo is back at full tilt.
The Tir Chonaill men were all at sea for a number of months as they first had a protracted chase for a new boss in Paddy Carr, before he then left during the league.
There has been off-field issues with the academy and a highly-publicised impasse with former star player Karl Lacey.
Since Aidan O’Rourke has taken over, the ship has been steadied, Paddy McBrearty has returned from injury, and victory last week against Monaghan ensured qualification from the All-Ireland groups stages.
“I think that the job that Aidan O’Rourke and Paddy Bradley have done, and obviously the players with the backing, and how Paddy McBrearty spoke the last day about the flak and the noise that was outside, and they shut themselves away,” says the Salthill-Knocknacarra boss.
“Okay, you could argue that Kildare or Cork are the turnaround of the year, but I think Donegal because they had the added dimension of the chaos around the development squads and all of the people resigning and all of that.
“Really, you’d have to admire what’s happened there, the tightness of the group. They lost their manager Paddy Carr during the season.
“Everything that could happen and go wrong, it was like Murphy’s Law for six months and now they’re at the pace.
“I’d be expecting Donegal to beat Tyrone because there’s just something not right with Tyrone. What that is… they have some fantastic footballers.
“And I know the dynamic of Ulster football and rivalries will come in, and maybe that will ignite Tyrone.
“What I’ve seen with Donegal, they have improved significantly and, as the saying goes, their mojo is back at full tilt and they’re in a very good place at the moment.”
LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
- 2021: Tyrone 0-23 Donegal 1-14 (Ulster semi-final)
- 2020: Donegal 1-13 Tyrone 1-11 (Ulster quarter-final)
- 2019: Donegal 1-16 Tyrone 0-15 (Ulster semi-final)
- 2018: Tyrone 2-17 Donegal 1-13 (2018 ‘Super 8s’)
- 2017: Tyrone 1-21 Donegal 1-12 (Ulster semi-final)
*This will be the 27th championship meeting between the counties, with Tyrone leading 14-11 with one draw from their previous 26 clashes.
*Tyrone beat Donegal by 0-16 to 0-8 in this year’s Allianz League.
