Jim McGuinness was happy to see Donegal rally late against Derry but admitted that his side was too slow to get to grips with the Oak Leafers in Ballyshannon.
Paddy Tally’s team came to Fr Tierney Park in desperate need of NFL points and for the guts of an hour, looked like they were going to get the job done.
But Shane O’Donnell’s huge three-pointer headed into the last ten minutes lit the fuse as the rejuvenated hosts came from six down to win out, in the end, by 1-22 to 1-19.
“It’s simple enough analysis today, we looked very tired,” McGuinness admitted after. “We were flat, we lacked our normal energy and intensity.
“With the best will in the world, they were trying to get there and they couldn’t get there.
“Even on transitional moments like Conor Glass’ goal, he could and should have been stopped but he wasn’t.
“They were walking through at certain times. But we won’t over-analyse that. It’s the fifth week on the bounce for us. That’s the reality of the situation.
“With all the rule enhancements, it makes for very intensive games. I just felt we played most of the game under a fair degree of fatigue.
“We couldn’t play the way we normally play but the big positive is we found a way to win the game. The lads that came into the game brought great energy and that was critical.
“Michael Murphy, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Eoin McHugh, Odhran Doherty and Caolan McColgan all helped lift the thing.
“That was the catalyst for the turnaround. Once we got moving and the scores went over the bar everyone got a lift from that.
“Derry will be devastated by that. They were eight points up with 15 minutes to go but they let us off the hook.
“Longer term, going into championship, off the back of today, they’ll feel they can have a real cut of us in Ballybofey. So that’s positive for them.
“And off the back of that too, for the same reasons, we now know what’s coming in MacCumhaill Park in five weeks time”.
