After a week of defeats in Poland and New Zealand, let’s get back to the bread and butter, shall we? Donegal take on Derry at Ballybofey in a much anticipated provincial showdown. In the last few minutes we’ve heard Donegal boss Jim McGuinness insist that talisman Michael Murphy would probably not line out but it looks in fact like he will play at midfield. It’s his first start for three months or so.

“Given the intensity Donegal play with and given how they pack hunt, [referee] Marty Duffy may be less suited to their style than any other whistler in the land. Expect many, many frees, but even that won’t save the visitors to Ballybofey, a place Donegal haven’t lost a game in six, a record going back to when Down hobbled past them in extra-time in 2010. That’s a very decent league and championship record, but it isn’t all location, location, location when it comes to why we think Jim McGuiness and his players will emerge.”

As we prepare for throw-in, moments away, read Ewan MacKenna’s preview here.

As the teams face the flag for the national anthems, let’s have those predictions. Is there anyone out there who fancies Derry to pull of a surprise?

Missed opportunity for an early score as Michael Murphy confounds any sharpness concerns as he’s quick off the mark to feed Colm McFadden but his punched effort is flagged wide. Conditions are wet and wild. More importantly Karl Lacey is wearing white boots.

Donegal 0-01 Derry 0-00 Colm McFadden makes amends moments later as he taps over a straightforward free, which was awarded generously by the referee. The champions are up and running.

Donegal 0-02 Derry 0-01 Mark Lynch levels it up and gets the Red Hand ticking over with a lovely score in tough conditions before a bright-looking David Walsh opens his account down the other end.

Donegal 0-03 Derry 0-01 Colm McFadden kicks a free, having been fouled himself, to open up a two-point lead for Donegal after 12 minutes or so. Moments later Conleith Gilligan fails to do likewise, missing a free from further out down the other end. The crowd look absolutely soaked but the game has been lively enough so far. What do you think?

Donegal 0-04 Derry 0-01 Patrick McBrearty stretches the Donegal lead to three points with a nice, well-worked point with the provincial champions now looking in control with 20 minutes on the clock. McBrearty is sitting his Leaving Cert exams at the moment and in no way does that make me feel inadequate.

Donegal 0-04 Derry 0-02 “Donegal are strangling this game,” sighs Marty Morriessy. Derry have got the deficit down to two points thanks to a Paddy Bradley free kick however and are enjoying their fair share of possession.

Donegal 0-05 Derry 0-03 Donegal’s Anthony Thompson bursts forward and lands a lovely score for Jim McGuinness’s side before a quick, long ball causes problem in the famous Donegal defence and they give Bradley a chance to tack on another one with a free. Which he does. 30 minutes on the clock.

GOAL!  Donegal 1-05 Derry 0-03

Daylight. Conor McFadden made an excellent, incisive run to the byline and tried to punch the wet ball over the bar. It instead drops to Leo McLoone, who sweeps it home.

Donegal 1-05 Derry 0-04 Put these words in order: Bradley. Free. A. Scores. From.

Half-time; Donegal 1-06 Derry 0-04 Michael Murphy taps it over to get his name on the scoresheet for the first time with the last stroke of the game — a converted free. The players trot in and the crowd of 11,000 file out for a well deserved warm drink. What did you make of that?

“Derry are very poor,” says Kevin McStay, with admirable honesty. And in truth this isn’t a classic. The Mayoman adds however that the famous blanket defence of Donegal is now mixed a lot better with transition into offence. Tony David refers to forwards as ‘pretty boys’, FYI.

And we’re up and running again. Derry to need to mix it up and little, take the shackles off and other assorted cliches in order to get back in this one.

More from Ewan MacKenna, which may or may not be prescient 37 minutes into this clash:

“Derry have the worst midfield in the province, their half-forward line has made promises that turned out to be lies, they don’t have the foot-passing ability form deep to feed the inside-forward line, all of which plays right into Donegal’s giant hands. The home team can focus their pack defence deep, can push out quick and they can break at pace. Against Cavan we saw how they have adapted from a high-energy defensive system to an even higher-energy counter-attacking system. Derry won’t live with that. Verdict: Donegal by four.”

Donegal 1-07 Derry 0-04 It took five minutes of the second half but Donegal corner back Frank McGlynn open the scoring.

GOAL! Donegal 2-07 Derry 0-04 McFadden buries it. But the move started way out the field when three gold jerseys crowded out the Derry possession.  Fine move.

Donegal 2-07 Derry 0-05 Derry open their second-half account through Paddy Bradley again — that’s his fourth of the game by my count. But they’ll need more than one man tapping them over when required if they’re to get back in this game.

Donegal 2-08 Derry 0-05 If Eamon Dunphy was sat here now he might tell you not to bother with the rest of this game and to head for the pub. You app users might be in the pub already however, so I won’t go so far. Michael Murphy has added his second point of the game from a free and this tie looks over, in truth.

Donegal 2-10 Derry 0-06 “This is turning into an exhibition,” says Marty from the gantry as David Walsh floats over another free for Donegal. 52 minutes on the clock. Derry look really poor, don’t they?

Donegal 2-11 Derry 0-06 Michael Murphy is back, baby. He’s just registered his third score of the game with 58 minutes or so elapsed.

Donegal 2-12 Derry 0-07 Brian Bradley drives forward and has the confidence to drill the ball over the bar, moments after Paddy Bradley scored from play. Despite that, with over 10 minutes sill remaining, Derry fans are streaming out the gate.

Donegal 2-12 Derry 0-08 Ulster journalist Ryan McALeer tweets: “Not that Derry are offering much resistance, but Donegal have a far better rounded attack this year. Will take some stopping.” In the meantime, Patrick McBrearty is denied a goal by the butt of a the post and up the other end Paddy Bradley is denied by a superb Paul Durkin, one-handed stop.

Donegal 2-13 Derry 0-08 Patrick McBrearty curls one high and inside the post. Frank McGlynn wins the RTÉ man-of-the-match award. With 68 minutes on the clock, I don’t think anyone would mind if the referee blew this one up. How good are Donegal though?

And that’s your lot. The referee blows it up and we can all move on with our lives. It’s the qualifiers for Derry, who have a lot of work to do while it’ll be Donegal in the provincial semi-final. But we could have told you that half an hour ago.