McGuinness rueful as Donegal miss big opportunity

Jim McGuinness made nary effort to hide his disappointment arsenic he reflected connected a missed opportunity after his Donegal broadside were edged retired 1-14 to 0-15 by Galway successful a tense All-Ireland Football semi-final.

Regrets location were a fewer - notably his side's mediocre conversion complaint of only 5 second-half scores from 14 chances aft they had accumulated 10 from precisely nan aforesaid number of opportunities successful nan first half which near nan interval scoreline 1-7 to 0-10.

McGuinness rued Paul Clancy's fortunate first-half extremity arsenic nan midfielder's changeable from region deceived Shaun Patton, who appeared to beryllium unsighted by Matthew Tierney's beingness connected nan separator of nan square.

"A extremity successful gaelic shot astatine nan infinitesimal is simply a big, large people but our guidance to that was perfectly fantastic," said nan Donegal head astatine his post-match news conference.

"We had 10 points connected nan committee from that position going successful astatine half-time truthful successful position of a blow, it wasn’t a psychological blow."

The Donegal leader made clear that he was irked by a number of calls by referee Brendan Cawley successful nan tight title but beyond mentioning nan whistler's determination not to grant Ryan McHugh a free successful nan first minute, didn't spell into specifics.

"There was a number [of decisions] coming that we wouldn’t person been happy with.....I don’t really want to spell there. It is what it is."

McGuinness acknowledged that Donegal's nonaccomplishment to return their second-half chances yet costs them nan chance of different gathering pinch Armagh - who they hit connected penalties successful nan Ulster Final 2 months ago.

The Donegal leader picked retired an uncharacteristic missed free by Oisin Gallen successful nan 66th infinitesimal which would would person levelled nan contest.

The Sean MacCumhaills clubman pulled his changeable wide from adjacent nan sideline immoderate 25 metres retired arsenic Donegal were held scoreless successful nan last 15 minutes of action.

"The crippled ended a two-point game. The extremity was very fortuitous. We had 2 superb blocks defensively and nan shot fell to a Galway man [and they sewage scores].

"Those wee bits and pieces and Oisin misses a free…..he could footwear that complete successful his sleep. I’ve seen him do that each nighttime successful training…..these wee bits and pieces and you deliberation ‘maybe it’s going to beryllium a wee spot much difficult coming than it should be’."

McGuinness besides felt nan nonaccomplishment of nan strong-running Eoghan Ban Gallagher to wounded successful nan 3rd 4th besides was a awesome rustle to his side.

"We ran retired of steam a wee spot coming down nan stretch. Galway looked a wee spot much battle-hardened that america and possibly that acquisition of 2 years agone [losing nan All-Ireland Final against Kerry] was beneficial to them.

"Losing Eoghan Ban was a large nonaccomplishment and a large infinitesimal successful nan game. He had made a superb incision and sewage fouled. Those driving runs were missed arsenic good coming down nan stretch."

McGuinness, not usually a man who struggles to travel up pinch answers erstwhile it comes to gaelic football, admitted his astonishment astatine really his team's "batteries ran down a wee bit" successful nan closing stages.

"I don’t person nan answer. Over nan adjacent mates of days, nan reply will astir apt commencement to appear…..on nan measurement down connected nan autobus pinch nan coaches erstwhile we are having a chat, getting our heads information it and trying to make consciousness of it.

"It’s difficult to locomotion retired of a dressing-room and into this room and beryllium clear astir what precisely happened."

The Glenties man was having thing of thing proposal that Donegal could return immoderate comfortableness successful this being twelvemonth 1 of Jim McGuinness 2.0.

"People talk astir twelvemonth 1 and each this. There’s nary specified thing. It’s this twelvemonth and this was an opportunity this year.

"We had an opportunity and we felt we were successful a really bully position astatine half-time. We felt if we could person kept it together and pushed connected for 15 minutes, we could person perchance seen nan crippled out. It didn’t cookware retired for america that way.

"We’ll person to return that connected nan chin and we’ll person to move connected and return arsenic galore lessons arsenic imaginable from that. 2024 was connected nan statement today. Armagh grasped that nettle yesterday."

Galway leader Padraic Joyce's main emotion was alleviation aft a crippled which he admitted "could person gone immoderate way" arsenic he heaped praise connected his players for producing a show which suitably honoured nan representation of two-time All-Ireland winning Tribesmen head John O'Mahony, who died past weekend.

"A awesome time for us. Semi-finals are for winning," said Joyce.

"Overall I thought it was a superb game. I thought some teams went astatine it successful nan first half. It was 1-7 to 0-10 astatine half-time and Donegal kicked immoderate awesome scores."

The Galway leader felt nan acquisition his broadside person gained successful caller years yet made nan quality successful nan power of battle.

"Our lads were astir apt a small spot much mature and further down nan way arsenic a processing broadside than Donegal.

"Donegal person travel an atrocious agelong measurement from wherever they were 12 months agone and adjacent play to Jim and nan region committee and nan boys."

Joyce said conclusion by Donegal would person rendered nan stirring quarter-final triumph complete defending champions Dublin "a damp squib".

"We evidently enjoyed that Saturday nighttime aft Dublin and nan lads sewage backmost down nan activity nan pursuing morning.

"They did a betterment convention astatine Blackrock successful Salthill for illustration they ever do. The lads were mighty and conscionable focused connected Donegal."

As for nan last against Armagh successful 2 weeks, Joyce hinted that he had predicted arsenic overmuch successful a matter to Orchard County leader Kieran McGeeney pursuing their drawn brushwood successful past month's concluding information of nan Super 16s.

"If you inquire Kieran McGeeney what I was texting him that nighttime that will reply nan mobility for you," said Joyce erstwhile asked he had considered whether nan sides mightiness conscionable extremity up gathering again successful nan All-Ireland decider.

Joyce's broadside lined up successful a missive V during an affectional pre-match video tribute paid to nan county's erstwhile leader O'Mahony connected Croke Park's large screens.

"The man has meant truthful overmuch to maine personally and to nan Galway players.

"Our WhatsApp group from 1998….the lads were perfectly heartbroken and you can’t beryllium heartbroken unless you emotion someone."