Preview: todays All-Ireland SFC semi-final – Galway v Donegal:
Sunday 14th July
All-Ireland SFC semi-final
Donegal v Galway in Croke Park at 4pm – RTE/BBC
Jeac Mac Ceallabhui has been handed a first championship start for Donegal for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Galway.
He comes into the team for Conor O’Donnell who drops from the match day 26 altogether, presumably due to injury.
O’Donnel is a loss for Donegal, but Mac Ceallabhui did impress as a sub against both Louth last time out and against Armagh in the Ulster Final.
Galway have named the same starting XV that defeated Dublin, with both Sean Kelly and Shane Walsh included despite being taken off with what looked like injuries in that match that would threaten their participation for this semi-final.
Having them in harness is a huge boost for the Tribesmen, but you’d have to question whether they’re both at 100% for this match.
If they’re not, that could hurt Galway, because the way Donegal play the game you simply must be able to stay with each and every one of their runners.
If you can’t, they’ll create overlaps and exploit them ruthlessly.
The Donegal half-back line of Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, and Peadar Mogan is the launchpad for their running game, and it’ll be interesting to see how well Galway manage to contain them.
Don’t be surprised though if Padraig Joyce decides to hammer the hammer by targeting that same half-back line, especially off restarts by pushing their two strapping wing-forwards, Cillian McDaid and Matthew Tierney wide to each touch-line.
That would give Galway three distinct kick-out pods (Midfielders Sean Kelly and Paul Conroy are the third) which would be a challenge for Donegal to cope with as they don’t have the same height and aerial ability that Galway do, and having to worry about three distinct areas off kick-outs would disperse their normally tightly packed defence.
The positive from a Galway point of view if they can successfully go long off kick-outs is the Donegal massed defence wouldn’t have time to get themselves set as well as they would if Galway carry the ball up the field.
Galway have kept seven clean sheets from eight matches and Donegal have kept six clean sheets from seven matches, so they’re both very solid at the back.
Which team will have an edge in attack? Donegal have scored on average three more points per game in the championship this year than Galway, but you could argue that Galway can hurt you in more ways than Donegal who rely very much on that running game.
The Tribesmen possess better kick-passers and if they can turn over the Donegal runners then direct deliveries into Damien Comer and Shane Walsh could prove very fruitful.
It’s going to be a match of super-fine margins. If Walsh and Kelly are fully fit and can last the pace then it’s advantage Galway.
But, if they’re not, Donegal’s relentless running game will exploit that weakness.
DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Ciaran Moore, Brendan McCole, Eoghan Bán Gallagher; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Peadar Mogan; Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan; Jeaic MacCeallbhuí, Shane O’Donnell, Daire Ó Baoill; Patrick McBrearty, Oisin Gallen, Niall O Donnell. Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Caolan McColgan, Stephen McMenamin, Odhran Doherty, Luke McGlynn, Mark Curran, Jason McGee, Hugh McFadden, Jamie Brennan, Aaron Doherty, Cathal MacAonghása.
GALWAY: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Séan Mulkerrin; Paul Conroy, Sean Kelly; Matthew Tierney, John Maher, Cillian McDaid; Robert Finnerty, Damien Comer, Shane Walsh. Subs: Conor Flaherty, John Daly, Eoghan Kelly, Daniel Ó Flaherty, Kieran Molloy, Cathal Sweeney, Cein Darcy, Johnny Heaney, Liam Ó Conghaile, Tomo Culhane, Niall Daly.