Decision to return has paid off for McGee as well as Donegal

Eamon McGee could be in Boston, Massachusetts, with that old green-eyed-monster sensation welling up inside. When McGee joined his Gweedore clubmate Kevin Cassidy for a quiet pint during the business end of the national league, word got back to Donegal manager Brian McIver.

This is McIver's first season in charge of a goldmine of talented footballers with a reputation for illdiscipline. Still, squad rules about alcohol had been broken, and both wing backs were dropped from the county panel.

A few days after defeat to Louth in the Division Two final replay, McIver invited the pair to rejoin the panel.

Cassidy refused and eventually decamped to the eastern seaboard just days before victory over Down in the Ulster championship quarter-final.

McGee accepted the olive branch and stayed.

The decision paid off. On July 9th, in the Ulster final, Donegal will face the victor from this Sunday's semi-final replay between Armagh and Fermanagh. Croke Park or Clones, depending on who prevails - the GAA populations of Fermanagh and Donegal are considered insufficient to turn a profit off the Jones Road venue.

Coming up to half-time last Sunday, hot favourites Derry seemed to realise this zestful Donegal team had the potential to pull away. So they upped the physical intensity.

Barry Dunnion had been sweeping up possession in front of the Derry full-forward line. Naturally, he became the first target as Fergal Doherty jolted him skyward with a legal shoulder challenge. Donegal needed to respond. Not react, mind - respond.

"From watching the Tyrone (v Derry) game we knew it was going to be a physical battle, but when you look through our team - the brother Neil (McGee), Neil Gallagher, Christy Toye, Barry Monaghan, Paddy Campbell - you're not going to get bigger men than that. We knew we could match them in a physical battle," noted McGee.

"We didn't panic. We just stuck to the team game-plan and it paid dividends. We didn't go off and try to do silly, individual stuff."

It helps that McIver has frequently guided Ballinderry to silverware.

"It's just a credit to Brian McIver for the way he has worked with us," continued McGee. "We knew what our jobs were because of McIver's knowledge of the Derry boys. That was a big, big advantage."

McGee also paid tribute to the less-heralded trainer Brian Porter, who came in this season and, along with McIver, placed a lot of trust in young forwards like Rory Kavanagh and Michael Doherty to deliver come the championship.

"Brian Porter is one of the best - if not the best - trainers in Ireland. He's got us to where we want to be and I say we have another 25 per cent to go before the Ulster final. We need to up it another wee bit."