Heaven can wait. Brian McEniff is not quite ready to leave the earthy smell of the dressing-room behind him, writes Keith Duggan.

We find him all alone in a backroom adjacent to the dressing-room, where the last of the walking wounded are being tended to.

This must be the first afternoon of contentment the Bundoran man has known since he renewed his labour of love with Donegal football at the start of the year.

"At least there is a bit of a smile again," he allowed.

"Ah, it's nice. It is beginning to take shape and we are definitely improving, although we have a way to travel yet. I still think I have to get the maximum out of this team."

But at least he has left the darkness of three weeks ago behind him. That day, he emerged from the rooms in Brewster Park a haunted man.

"That Wednesday afterwards was the worst day of my football life. I remember calling my old friend Arthur McRory from Tyrone and he offered me a few words that I kept in mind when we met up again.

"Against Fermanagh, we picked a team that looked good on paper but the attitude was not there." Yesterday, it was.

Peter Ford, Sligo's amicable manager, stands in the summer haze. One of the game's more enlightened figureheads, he is no miracle worker.

Sligo crowds made the short journey past Ben Bulben in good numbers, but this year has been as flat as last summer was unpredictable.

"We were well beaten," he shrugged with a rueful smile.

"At half time, we were happy enough and made a few changes that we felt would shore what problems they had given us.

"But Donegal were all legs and just ran at us and got a momentum that we couldn't live with. Like, the boys tried their hearts out but it just didn't happen. We never played well this year for whatever reason. The buzz was not there - maybe we just had nothing left from last year."

And what of Ford's own future?

"Ah, I dunno, I dunno. I still have to talk to the lads."

John Gildea is late leaving the park, all iced up. Bruised shoulder, bruised head and a broad smile. Having already publicly hinted that his days in Donegal colours are finite, his summer is looking better than it did three weeks ago.

"Aye, well, we - I think maybe a lot of us - were making excuses for ourselves and maybe looking for a get-out clause. We sat down and talked about it and that was much better today. We still have a lot to do, but at least we are being honest again."

A fine day for the veteran, it was also an afternoon when his young midfield partner came of age.

"Aye, Stephen McDermott, what a prospect. I'll tell ya, he was a joy to play with out there, 'cos my old legs aren't getting any younger."