Jim McGuinness hailed his Donegal team’s performance after they defeated Cavan 3-26 to 1-13 in the All-Ireland SFC round-robin stage. He emphasized the significance of their strong finish to the first half.
Donegal’s 19-point victory at Breffni Park propelled them to the top of Group 1 based on points difference. Notably, all four games in the group thus far have been won by the away team. The final group games see Donegal facing Mayo, while Cavan will play Tyrone.
Topping the group for Donegal hinges on two factors: Tyrone failing to beat Cavan, and Donegal securing a victory against Mayo.
“These games are never over until they are,” McGuinness commented after the game in Cavan. Donegal extended their halftime lead of 1-12 to 1-5, with Finnbarr Roarty scoring a crucial goal just before the break. In the second half, Conor O’Donnell (1-4) and Caolan McColgan added further goals. Michael Murphy, who scored seven points, received a standing ovation upon being substituted, and Shane O’Donnell was named man of the match.
“It did peter out a bit, which was unusual considering Cavan had the wind in the second half. We expected a longer continuation of the first-half battle. The goal just before halftime was crucial.”
“It settled everyone and allowed us to play the football we want to play. There was plenty of running in the second half, good decisions, and the team stretched the game well, resulting in a lot of scores.”
Donegal previously lost to Tyrone 2-17 to 0-20 in their opening match. However, with each team now having one win and one loss, all four teams still have a chance to progress in the next round.
“It was a very tough battle for a long time,” McGuinness stated regarding Cavan. “They responded well to everything we threw at them. We found the rhythm that was missing last week, where there were too many unforced errors and poor decision-making.”
“We are very happy to get the points. It was a crucial game for us in that regard. Everyone is now on two points, and we will see how the next game goes.”
“Very tough battle” – McGuinness on Donegal’s victory over Cavan was last modified: June 1st, 2025 by
