KEVIN CASSIDY: Soul-searching time in Gaoth Dobhair

IT’S club time all across the lands and we got through round two of the senior football championship here last weekend in Donegal.

I suppose the best place to start is with a disappointing result for ourselves in Gaoth Dobhair against Aodh Ruadh, Ballyshannon.

Now, don’t get me wrong, when going through my picks at the start of the championship I did highlight Ballyshannon as a team to watch, but I also thought that our lads would have enough to get them over the late last weekend.

We were comfortable enough in the first half. Then, two quickfire goals turned the tie in Aodh Ruadh’s favour and we just couldn’t find a way back into the game.

It is without doubt a sore one for our lads and I’m sure there’s a lot of soul-searching going on this week in Magheragallan. But, on the flipside, it’s a massive win for Aodh Rua as they continue to build with this young team.

I’ve stated here in the past the importance of getting the big teams who used to be strong in Donegal back to the top table once more and Aodh Ruadh are without doubt one of those teams that we need back competing at the top table.

The second game I attended last weekend was the meeting of the county finalists of last year, St Eunan’s and Glenties.

Now, to say that both of these teams are a step or two ahead of anything else in the county at the minute would be an understatement. I’m sure management teams all over Donegal will be raising the bar this week because both of these teams turned up with serious intensity last weekend.

St Eunan’s pressed with unreal intensity and intent for the first half and they caused Glenties serious problems in that they couldn’t get out of their own defence.

Credit to Glenties they turned the screw in the second half and chipped away at the lead and snatched a draw towards the end. This result mattered little to both of these teams as they will easily make their way through to the quarter-final draw, but I think last weekend was more about laying down a marker because there is no doubt that these two teams will be there at the very end of this championship.

The rest of the results went pretty much as expected and we will head into round three football championship this weekend.

I know I have touched on this in the past, but I’m just unsure about the whole structure of things. We play four group games here in Donegal and you will find some of those games will mean very little to both teams.

In a few weeks’ time the Tyrone senior football championship will start which is straight knockout and from the very first moment their games are full of drama and excitement, so the jury is still out as to which approach works best.

Granted, our system will allow teams more games, but, for me, it’s the league that should permit for that to happen.

In the championship you should have to bring your ‘A’ game every time you step on to the field because that’s what championship is all about