2014 Donegal season
The 2014 Donegal season was the franchise's 110th season since the County Board's foundation in 1905. The team entered the season looking to improve on their poor 2013 run and return to prominence for the first time since winning Sam Maguire MMXII.
Jim McGuinness returned for his fourth season as the team's manager. Pioneer of the game's revolutionary tactic The System,[1] he entered the season with two Ulster titles (2011, 2012), and added a third this season,[2] before becoming the first manager in team history to lead his team to two All-Ireland Finals.[3][4]
National League
Donegal won promotion from Division 2.
- 2014 Division 2 table
Team | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Donegal | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 9-97 | 7-67 | +36 | 11 | Advanced to final and promoted to Division 1 for 2015 |
Monaghan | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3-107 | 3-78 | +29 | 11 | |
Meath | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9-87 | 8-95 | –5 | 9 |
27 April 2014 2:00 pm Final |
Monaghan | 1-16 – 1-10 | Donegal |
---|---|---|
K Hughes 1-1, P Finlay (1f), C McManus 0-3 each, P McKenna, D Hughes 0-2 each, R Beggan ('45), D Mone, D Clerkin, C McGuinness, F Kelly 0-1 each | Report | M Murphy 1-4 (1 pen, 3f), C McFadden 0-4 (3f), P McBrearty, O MacNiallais 0-1 each |
Ulster Championship
Donegal won the Ulster Championship for a third time in four seasons.
25 May 2014 2.00pm Quarter-final |
Derry | 0-11 – 1-11 | Donegal |
---|---|---|
M Lynch (0-04), E Bradley (0-03), B Heron (0-02), C McFaul, N Holly (0-01 each) | Report | L McLoone (1-01), M Murphy (0-04), K Lacey, A Thompson, C Toye, D O'Connor, P McBrearty, M McElhinney (0-01 each) |
22 June 2014 2.00pm Semi-final |
Donegal | 3-16 – 0-12 | Antrim |
---|---|---|
D O'Connor, L McLoone (1-02 each), D Molloy (1-01), O MacNialais (0-04), M Murphy (0-03), C Toye, C McFadden (0-02 each) | Report | T McCann, B Neeson (0-03 each), M Sweeney (0-02), C Murray, P McCann, K Niblock, P Cunningham (0-01 each) |
20 July 2014 4.00pm Final |
Monaghan | 1-09 – 0-15 | Donegal |
---|---|---|
P Finlay (0-04), C McGuinness (1-00), R Beggan (0-02), V Corey, K Hughes, C McManus (0-01 each) | Report | C McFadden (0-04), P McBrearty , O MacNiallais (0-03 each), M Murphy (0-02), A Thompson, K Lacey, R McHugh (0-01 each) |
All-Ireland Championship
Donegal reached the All-Ireland Final for a second time in three seasons.
9 August 2014 4.00pm Quarter-final B |
Donegal | 1-12 – 1-11 | Armagh |
---|---|---|
M Murphy (0-05), O MacNiallais (1-01), C McFadden (0-03), P McBrearty (0-02), N McGee (0-01) | Report | T Kernan (0-04), A Kernan (0-02), A Mallon, A Forker, S Campbell, K Carragher, M Murray (0-01 each) P Durcan (1-00 own goal) |
31 August 2014 3:30pm Semi-final |
Donegal | 3-14 - 0-17 | Dublin |
---|---|---|
R McHugh 2-02, C McFadden 1-03 (2fs), M Murphy 0-03 (2fs), P McBrearty 0-02, K Lacey, F McGlynn, O MacNiallais, R Kavanagh 0-01 each | Report | D Connolly 0-05 (1f), P Flynn 0-04, B Brogan 0-03 (1f), A Brogan, P Andrews 0-02 each, P McMahon 0-01 |
All Stars
Donegal achieved four All Stars.
Pos. | Player | Team | Appearances |
---|---|---|---|
GK | Paul Durcan | Donegal | 2 |
RCB | Paul Murphy | Kerry | 1 |
FB | Neil McGee | Donegal | 3 |
LCB | Keith Higgins | Mayo | 3 |
RWB | James McCarthy | Dublin | 1 |
CB | Peter Crowley | Kerry | 1 |
LWB | Colm Boyle | Mayo | 2 |
MD | Neil Gallagher | Donegal | 2 |
MD | David Moran | Kerry | 1 |
RWF | Paul Flynn | Dublin | 4 |
CF | Michael Murphy | Donegal | 2 |
LWF | Diarmuid Connolly | Dublin | 1 |
RCF | Cillian O'Connor | Mayo | 1 |
FF | Kieran Donaghy | Kerry | 3 |
LCF | James O'DonoghueFOTY | Kerry | 2 |
- County breakdown
- Kerry= 5
- Donegal= 4
- Dublin= 3
- Mayo= 3
Management
- Manager: Jim McGuinness
- Selectors: Damian Diver, John Duffy, Paul McGonigle
- Goalkeeping coach: Pat Shovelin
Team roster
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Squad as per Donegal vs Dublin, 2014 All-Ireland Semi Final, 31 August 2014
Kit
References
- ↑ Duggan, Keith (2 September 2014). "Neil McGee: pushing bodies on was key to Dublin upset - ‘We went away to a training camp for four, five days and Jim more or less broke down their game plan and we exploited it’". The Irish Times (Irish Times Trust). p. 2. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
One of the lazier stereotypes about the Donegal defensive game – generally labelled ‘the system’ – is that it somehow does the work on its own. But McGee had plenty of moments in the spotlight with Brogan on Sunday and took his turn roaming forward like the other Donegal back six.
- ↑ "Ulster Football Final: Donegal beat Monaghan in provincial decider". BBC Sport (BBC). 20 July 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ↑ "GAA: Donegal record stunning six-point victory over Dublin in All-Ireland SFC semi-final". Sky Sports (BSkyB). 1 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ↑ Harkin, Greg (31 August 2014). "Written off by everyone - but Donegal tear up the script". Irish Independent (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 31 August 2014.
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