And then there were two: The story of semi-final weekend

It was a mixed weekend for Ulster. Tyrone were chinned by Clifford brilliance. Donegal bore their ruthless side. Michael McMullan takes a look.

FOUR became two over the weekend as the race for Sam heads towards the final fork in the road.

Donegal and Kerry are left standing but two into one doesn’t go.

Tyrone put out two of Kerry’s three fires but David Clifford was in scintillating form. His 1-9 tally takes him to 11-83 for the season.

The haul is all the more staggering given he didn’t feature until he bagged a hat-trick in victory over Tyrone in Pomeroy.

It put an end to a second ever all-Ulster showdown for Sam Maguire but Donegal made no mistake on Sunday.

Niall Devlin did a creditable job on Paudie Clifford with Peter Teague keeping quarter-final star Seán O’Shea on the periphery.

They just couldn’t cope with David Clifford. Fingers will be pointed at Paudie Hampsey, but we just have to appreciate how much of a star Clifford is.

For me, Peter Canavan was the greatest forward of all-time. Clifford has time on his side to take over that mantle.

Tyrone’s problems came from two angles. Firstly, they were without the injured Rory Brennan who would’ve been suited to drop off and limit the kicking options to Clifford.

It was something Armagh tried with Ross McQuillan but they lost his attacking threat going the other way.

Secondly, and collectively, against Kerry, it’s so, so important to mind the ball.

Tyrone’s plan was about Devlin and Teague’s tagging roles. The problem was how much possession the Red Hands passed up.

SHOULDER TO SHOUDER…The Tyrone team before Saturday’s defeat to Kerry

With David Clifford’s ability to win any sort of ball, whether he has separation from his marker or not, opposition teams simply have to keep possession.

Having said all that, Tyrone did really well on Shane Ryan’s kick-outs early on. It wasn’t until a poke to the Hogan Stand wing that Kerry had some respite.

Ryan also denied Darren McCurry a goal who also pulled a shot wide. Watching on, I thought to myself what a 0-5 to 0-1 Tyrone lead would’ve done for the game.

I spent last week on holidays in Donegal. Looking on, across a refreshing pint in Sister Sara’s, it was hard to appreciate the temperature of Croke Park’s atmosphere.

A four-point lead is hardly commanding under the new-look rules, but, combined by Tyrone’s control, it could’ve changed the direction.

Then it was Kerry’s time and only for the brilliance of Niall Morgan, the Kingdom could’ve been out the gap by half time.

It was the running of Joe O’Connor that pinned Tyrone back. He is 2025’s version of John Maher, a player coming from outside the pack to lead Kerry’s charge.

The other key moment came when Tyrone trailed by seven points. Ruairi Canavan lamped over a two-pointer only for referee Joe McQuillan strangely not allowing it to stand, instead awarding a free in for Dylan Casey’s tug on Kieran McGeary.

I recall looking up at the score graphic. 1-17 to 0-13. But if Niall Morgan could nail this, the gap would be five. A press on Ryan’s kick-out and who knows what happens next.

Morgan elected to work it short only for McGeary to snatch at the shot and the chance was gone.

The collective groan along the bar counter backed up what I thought. With 13 minutes to play, barring a miracle, the game was over.

Red Hands will be hoping Mattie Donnelly and Peter Harte, legends of the county, will ponder their future before deciding to again throw their hat in the ring for 2026.

With more young players to come into the squad, experience is vital. Now more than ever.

Monaghan manager Gabriel Bannigan has hailed the standards Karl O’Connell and Darren Hughes brought this season.

******

There was a sea of green and gold across Drumcondra on Sunday. The train south had the odd Donegal jersey in view.

The platform in Dundalk was awash with Meath jerseys. One a player issue 1996 number, speaking of glory days.

There was even more Royal green in Drogheda and you could almost sense the occasion.

Mingling in the foyer of the Croke Park Hotel, the narrative was focussed on Kerry’s cutting open of Tyrone.

A Donegal family perched beside me, were dissecting David Clifford’s 1-9 posted 24 hours earlier.

There was a confidence in Donegal during the week. Flags were fluttering. Meath’s record of beating Galway, Kerry and Dublin still brought a level of nervousness. Every team needed respected.

Walking about Michael Murphy’s sports shop, business was brisk. The goalkeeper jersey was in demand among a pocket of fans. I spotted Meath and Kerry hats among the stock, not imagining they’d be much in demand.

Would they have to place an order for more Donegal jerseys on Monday morning? I felt like asking. I didn’t. But I knew they would have to.

Caolan McGonagle’s listing in the 26 was an indicator Donegal’s pieces were all on the table at the one time. At the right time.

Fógra. Team news. No changes on either side. McGonagle, Patrick McBrearty, Jason McGee and Dáire Ó Baoill would all start on the bench.

McBrearty pointing towards Hill 16, telling Paul Faloon they were playing into the wind, was an indication they were going to ride out Meath’s two-point threat into the swirling Davin End.

Patton’s variation pulled Meath to the shoulders of both the Cusack and Hogan Stands.

McCole looked into the eyes of Jordan Morris everywhere he went. Everyone else went zonal.

Mogan, Roarty, Eoghan Bán Gallagher all took turns to drop back. Hugh McFadden too.

At times, it left Mogan free to eat up the vacant grass on the Cusack side.

FANS’ FAVOURITE…Donegal fans celebrate Conor O’Donnell (15) scoring his side’s third goal on Sunday

There was a nervousness about Meath. I got a text of a man in the crowd telling me their warm-up broke down three times.

At the other end, Donegal’s was repetitively simple. A grid of cones for the activation of the glutes. That repeat ‘sprintability’ has to come from somewhere.

A few touches of the ball.

Then came the thee-man weave and a kick at the posts. In Donegal’s game, they always get a shot off. It’s about muscle memory.

Back to the game. Ryan McHugh ferried the ball deep. Mogan was on the other flank. Then you had those orange boots of Roarty. Flying, dancing feet.

Donegal’s stall was set out early. Surprisingly it was Seamus Lavin who picked up Murphy but wasn’t able to stop him kicking the first point. When Murphy’s name was read out by announcer Jerry Grogan, it unsurprisingly was greeted by the loudest roar. He is such an icon.

Seán Rafferty was assigned to Oisín Gallen who began to get space. So too Conor O’Donnell.

Both O’Donnell and Murphy were on the outside last year. Now they were pulling the strings and only for Billy Hogan and Donal Keoghan to pull off two saves, Donegal would’ve been further in control.

Michael Murphy blasted another over but Donegal were fortunate referee Faloon didn’t deem Murphy’s late, trailing arm, on Rafferty as a black card.

With Donegal’s zonal defence covering two thirds of the pitch at a time, Meath began to peel into the other channel. It was enough to get shots away. But they were only pot shots.

It sucked the life out of them. It lifted Donegal and when Bryan Menton was forced off injured, Meath were deeper in bother.

Donegal’s three goals, all different, turned the light out on Meath’s biggest day since 2009.

Caolan McColgan ferried the ball down the left wind. Potent, hard running. When Gallen dovetailed, his bounce took him clear of the Meath defender before dispatching to the net from a tight angle off his weaker left foot.

The second came from a Roarty turnover in defence. Then it was time for another fast transition before Moore cut inside. For a man McGuinness called into the panel as a spotter of danger, his placed finished perfect. Peter Canavan-sque in 2005.

The third goal was direct in a different way. Patton’s rocket launcher nearly landed the ball in the North Circular Road. McBrearty gathered and surveyed the scene. Gallen was the best ball. Gallen had a look.

Both men entitled to shoot, but it was all about the team. Gallen’s threw the eye of a needle pass found Conor O’Donnell. A sidestep. Boom. Back of the net.

Langan tagged on two points and Ó Baoill, who unselfishly passed to McBrearty earlier, was rewarded with a score. Donegal’s 12th man on the tally chart.

That’s the balance that will engage Jack O’Connor and Cian O’Neill’s collective thought process.

Deep under the Hogan Stand, the post-game scene was one of looking forward.

They picked through the performance. PRO Sineád Breen was getting the plans in place for Tuesday’s press evening.

Players were chatting freely with the media as an avalanche of help loaded up a bulging kit van.

There was a level of satisfaction but every set of eyes were wide open. The dashboard of the bus was empty.

David Clifford’s 1-9 and Kerry’s litany of All-Irelands combined to focus the minds.

Donegal’s season was about one thing. Sam. Ryan McHugh remarked he was only a cub when he bagged 2-2 in the 2014 semi-final.

There was 3-26 beside Donegal’s name on Sunday, but it will be reset to 0-0 on Sunday week.

In the world of high performance, there is always a next chapter until it’s the last one.

Donegal can see dreamland, but they can’t step into it.

Both semi-finals promised, neither delivered. A blockbuster awaits us in the final. Let’s hope so.

Check out this week’s Gaelic Lives review show, including interviews with Malachy O’Rourke, Ryan McHugh and Jim McGuinness.