Derry seek to echo Donegal’s All-Ireland success ahead of their year of years

There are a lot of similarities between Derry this season and Donegal in 2012, but believing it is your year is one thing - making it happen is anotherDonegal’s Odhran Doherty and Oisin Gallen clash with Padraig McGrogan and Shane McGuigan of Derry during this year's Dr McKenna Cup. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho, most people’s idea of a coming force. The other is gathering itself afresh after a couple of pretty indifferent championship seasons.

Donegal are Derry and Derry are Donegal. The game is in Ballybofey rather than Celtic Park. Jim McGuinness is still Jim McGuinness but sub John Brennan in for Mickey Harte and the old switcheroo is complete. “It’s a gradual process,” says 2012 All Star wing-back Frank McGlynn. “It’s very difficult to improve everything in one year and get to the pitch of where you want to be in all areas. In previous years, you would have been going into games with nerves and doubts, wondering, ‘Are we as fit?’ or, ‘Have we the work done?’

“Derry’s attacking side of football has been excellent throughout the league. They attack from all angles, from corner-back to corner-forward. Nobody is shying away from the ball in pivotal moments. In the league final against Dublin, they were aggressive on the Dublin kick-out when they needed to be. That’s always a positive sign of a group, that they have the belief to go after that.”Some of the parallels between the two sides are uncanny.

“The big one for us in 2012 was Kerry,” says Eamon McGee, corner-back on that team. “That was our career game. Even though Kerry were probably on the way down at the time and Cork were a better team, Kerry are a symbol. You beat Kerry and you walk out of Croke Park telling yourself that you’re well fit for whoever is thrown at you. Ulster titles were grand but beating Kerry in Croke Park made you believe it was all possible.

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