Donegal manager Jim McGuinness said he didn’t want to experience an anti-climax after becoming Ulster champions.
The Glenties man was speaking after Donegal blew away Tyrone on a scoreline of 0-21 to 0-14 at MacCumhaill Park.
In a pulsating tie, Donegal eventually got a solid football and never took their foot off the gas against Brian Dooher’s men who looked shell-shocked as their opponents found gear after gear.
The Donegal manager his charges wanted to beat Tyrone to ensure there was no feeling of an anti-climax for his players and fans alike after 16,600 piled into Ballybofey for the game.
He said “Coming in tonight as Ulster champions having played Derry and Tyrone and then Armagh in an final and then you are back playing an Ulster team I suppose if we had lost the game it would have been a wee bit of an anti-climax after winning the provincial championship.
“Obviously the added pressure of your own home fans in your own home stadium. We are just delighted to get over the line, two points on the board, happy with the performance and getting ready as quickly as we can for Cork next weekend.
After a tense first half, Donegal put on the burners in the second period and hit 11 points with their opponets only managing five.
McGuinness was delighted at how his team responded in that second period and how they were able to send the Donegal fans home happy!
“We probably scored equally in both halves, the test was tougher in the first half definitely. We knew Tyrone would come very hard at us and that was the case.
“I thought they played exceptionally well in the first half and asked a lot of questions of us. I thought the game was fairly relentless, there was a real good energy and intensity to it and it was like of boxing match or a game of basketball whatever way you want to phrase it.
“There was a lot of energy and intensity in the game and both teams were going for it so really it was no surprise that it ended up 10-9 at half time.
“There was a tricky enough wind there as well. We just felt at half time going in a point up and the breeze at our back that maybe we needed to keep doing what we were doing and not buy into the concept of the wind too much.
“Just keep doing the good work we had done in the first half and use the breeze to benefit us in the final stages of an attack.
“I am really happy that everybody is away home happy. Obviously we are back here right away to start the recovery because the turn around is very sharp and on top of that we have a very long travel next weekend.”
