National Hurling League Division 3A

Longford v Donegal

Sunday, Michael Fay Park, 2pm

BY RONAN SCOTT

Donegal Captain Sean McVeigh said that they have weathered the storm in more ways than one this year.

The Tir Chonaill hurlers who are managed by Michael Mc Cann, had a rough start to the league, losing to Armagh. And they have struggled to play well in the poor weather that has been a constant since the start of the league. They have even struggled to get training grounds. Yet Donegal have won their three games since defeat to Armagh and they are heading into their game against Longford knowing that a win will put them into the league final.

“The weather has been difficult to play in.

“A lot of the pitches that we have used have been pretty unplayable.”

McVeigh said that he and his team mates needed a response after they did not get the start they expected in the league, losing to Armagh by 2-17 to 0-15.

“We responded well. After that game we spoke about it. After they beat us the intensity went up. And we responded.”

The response involved wins over Tyrone, Louth and Monaghan.

Their target is the final, and Armagh are top of the pile, and Tyrone are on the same points as Donegal. But as Tyrone and Armagh play each other this weekend, the final places are very much up for grabs.

“This is a massive game. It’s more or less the semi-final. It’s knockout hurling now,” McVeigh said.

“Any time you go away to Longford it is a massive battle.

“They are going fairly well at the moment so it is going to be a tough one.”

One of the issues that Donegal must address, according to McVeigh, is their shooting. They beat Monaghan by 1-15 to 1-5, But against Louth they managed 2-9 and they scored 01-5 against Armagh.

McVeigh believes those numbers can increase.

“We need to be more clinical. We are trying to be more composed.”

With four wins on the trot, the mood should be really good. Yet Mc Veigh says their ambitions have not changed, and they have tried to keep things simple.

“Our goal has not changed. We are just trying to win every game that we play. It’s as simple as that.”

The goal is not promotion therefore, though McVeigh said that would be a big thing for Donegal.

“We have been up in division 2B for a couple of years. We were fairly close to making it to a league final. Last year we had a good few strong performances but it is a difficult league. It would be very important if we were to get promotion.”

r.scott@gaeliclife.com