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Defensive muddle leaves Donegal on brink of relegation

Declan Bonner’s team need to rediscover some of their old traits against Mayo today

Attacking threat: Donegal have missed Patrick McBrearty
Attacking threat: Donegal have missed Patrick McBreartyCATHAL NOONAN

Half an hour into the Tyrone-Donegal game in Omagh two weeks ago, Niall Sludden blocked down a Michael Murphy point attempt before instantly initiating the counter-attack. Just two passes later, Conor Meyler played a perfectly weighted pass into Sludden, who had sprinted 80 metres, and who was straight through on goal. Sludden tried to take the ball around goalkeeper Shaun Patton but Patton pulled him down for a penalty.

Peter Harte drove the shot wide but four minutes later, Colm Cavanagh dispossessed Odhrán MacNiallais before Tyrone strung five passes together and Sludden drove the ball low past Patton. It was vintage Tyrone counterattacking but those two sequences of play were almost as noteworthy for being such untypical Donegal defending.

On both occasions when they were…

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