BY RYAN FERRY

GARY Duffy’s side Donegal side have been in good form and they will play their third game in the space of 14 days when they take on Monaghan at Brewster Park on Friday at 8pm.

Donegal have already got past Armagh and Tyrone, and they will now meet Monaghan, who have accounted for a talented Derry team. Conor Laverty’s Down and Fermanagh will meet in the other semi-final.

Manager Duffy explained the pros and cons of having an extra game: “We were in the preliminary round and it’s tough. We believe we’re on the harder side of the draw too, so there’s a lot of big names from Ulster in beside us. It works both ways, especially if there’s injuries or you’re wanting to do preparation work. There’s very little time to work with your own team and what you want to do.

“Because there’s no league football this year, the preliminary round gave us a game and it’s important you come out of it injury free. That was the important thing and the game stood to us going into the match in Omagh (against Tyrone).”

Donegal defeated Tyrone by three points last week but they made hard work of it.

They were seven points up midway through the second half and were coasting. Duffy’s side allowed their neighbours to come back into the game, and they could have lost the match.

“Tight games teach you the character of players and who can step up to it. That will stick to them throughout this campaign and when some of the players go into the senior ranks. The game management was good in the last few minutes.

“Daithi Roberts pulled off some good saves but everybody put their bodies on the line in the last few minutes to get a victory for Donegal. That’s good for character.”

One area where Donegal struggled in the last quarter was winning possession from their own kick-outs.

Donegal underage sides haven’t always been the biggest in recent years but the u-20s have height and size with Rory O’Donnell, Ryan McFadden, Eoin Dowling and Nathan Byrne all well able to field ball.

That is something that Donegal can work on but Duffy was pleased with their defensive shape and Tyrone struggled to get shots away.

“Teams build momentum and you always hear about purple patches and Friday night was no different.

“We had purple patches and maybe we could have capitalised better with some of those purple patches we had.

“Equally when Tyrone had their purple patch they put us under the cosh but the workrate of those lads and the intensity of their running has to be admired. We maybe didn’t get enough hands on the ball but we put ourselves in a good defensive position to stop them and that was important because it was left that there was pot shots being taken.”

13 May 2018; Shane Hanratty of Monaghan in action against Rory O’Donnell of Donegal during the 2018 Ulster GAA Football U17 Championship Qualifiers Round 2 match between Donegal and Monaghan at P·irc MacCumhaill in Donegal. Photo by Oliver McVeighSportsfile