A GOOD DEAL of inter-county tactical work involves kick-out routines and presses on opposing restarts.
Goalkeepers have become central figures in every game plan. Without a good kick-out strategy, you’re going nowhere fast against any side worth their salt.
As Cavan’s Raymond Galligan highlighted with his winning kick at the end of extra-time on Saturday, keepers at the top level are so much more than mere shot-stoppers.
What started with Stephen Cluxton has extended right down to the lower tiers where Mark Jackson regularly strokes over dead balls for Wicklow.
Rory Beggan and Niall Morgan commonly carry the ball into midfield and their kick-outs can be the launchpad for attack after attack.
Ever since his arrival on the scene in 2018, Shaun Patton has allowed Donegal build moves from deep with his array of short and long restarts. The St Eunan’s man pulls out a different golf club depending on the distance and angle.
Conor McKenna wasn’t the only player in Ballybofey who left a career in professional sport behind him.
After All-Ireland winner Paul Durcan announced his decision to move to Qatar in 2015, Donegal made initial approaches for Patton to join the senior panel. But Patton was on the books of League of Ireland club Sligo Rovers where he stayed until the end of 2017.
He made his first-team debut for the club as a 16-year-old in 2012. Patton spent the majority of 2017 as sub goalie behind Micheál Schlingermann, who incidentally joined the Mayo panel as their third choice keeper last year.
When the number one picked up an injury at Rovers near the end of the 2017 season, Patton deputised and shipped just one goal in Sligo’s final four games.
He had offers from other League of Ireland clubs but threw his lot in with Donegal when Declan Bonner made another approach ahead of the 2018 campaign. The move has been a major success. With Patton in goal, Donegal finally found a suitable replacement for Durcan and together they lifted the last two Ulster titles.
Across the league, Donegal retained 80% of Patton’s kick-outs and he was comfortable mixing his distances from short (inside 45 metres) mid-range (beyond the 45) and long (beyond the 65).
On Sunday, 75% of his restarts were won by his team-mates which directly resulted in Donegal scoring 1-6. They led to a further five shots at the post which ended up in four wides and one blocked shot.
But Patton was clearly under instructions to avoid mid-range kicks. Just one of his 24 restarts landed in between the Donegal 45 and 65, with the majority going short and eight sent long.
Donegal are comfortable running the ball from their own full-back line. Their patient build-up and diagonal angles of running meant that a move that started with Neil McGee or Stephen McMenamin on the edge of the D often resulted in shots on goal 90 seconds later.
Then Declan Bonner’s side had man mountains in Michael Murphy, Michael Langan, Ciaran Thompson, Hugh McFadden, Ciaran McGonagle to aim for in the middle third, giving Patton plenty of options to aim at.
Murphy was the one he aimed for most, with Patton aiming his long kick-outs towards the big Glenswilly man on three occasions, though McFadden and McGonagle were targetted twice each.
Most of his short kicks were received by unmarked defenders beside the D. Tyrone only properly attempting to force him long in the second-half when they were behind. They retained 85% of his short restarts and the figure dropped to 50% when he went long.
With the gale behind him in the opening period, Patton could easily clear the Tyrone 65 with his kick-outs.
One of those long deliveries led to the key moment of the game when Michael Langan struck for a first-half goal.
After Darragh Canavan’s 24th minute shot went wide at the near post, Patton was alert. By the time the ball hit the nets behind the goals, he was bent over grabbing his tee and a ball.
Spotting Peadar Mogan unmarked way up the field, it took Patton seven seconds to get the ball back into play.
After 12 seconds, the ball was in Mogan’s hand on the Tyrone 45.
He sped forward and fed Michael Langan for Donegal’s goal to wipe out Tyrone’s quick start.
What a GOAL by Michael Langan for @officialdonegal! pic.twitter.com/CCTyG6qMny
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 1, 2020
It was a sensational piece of play from Patton, particularly given the dreadful conditions. It summed up the power and accuracy he can generate on his restarts.
He caught Tyrone badly out when they had bodies pushed forward. It was one of the few times Mickey Harte’s side were cut open at the back.
Patton’s first kick-out of the game inside two minutes went straight into the grateful hands of Darren McCurry who carried it forward and split the posts. It was a poor start but it wasn’t until second-half stoppage-time when one of his short kicks went astray again.
Patton got away nine successive kick-outs at the start of the second period as Donegal turned the screw. They lost just two of his restarts after the break.
They retained just 50% of his long kick-outs and the ones they lost were in areas where Tyrone couldn’t hurt them. Equally, Donegal won 53% of Niall Morgan’s long restarts and allowed him go short just five times across the 70 minutes.
Phsyically, they edged the battle at midfield and won plenty of second balls in the tough conditions. That provided them with a solid platform for the victory.
While he was largely excellent from dead balls, Patton was involved in a couple of hairy moments from open play.
He was quick out off his line to deal with a dangerous ball that bounced into the path of a Tyrone attacker as he bore down on goal. He was alive again in 56th minute to gather a ball as Tyrone tried to get in behind Donegal once again.
But two minutes later, Tyrone had a goal chance when Patton spilled Richie Donnelly’s shot on the line but McKenna was unable to turn it into the net.
He was involved in a calamitous moment in the 43rd minute that resulted in Canavan’s goal. The finger of blame will be pointed at Eoghan Ban Gallagher, though Patton could be criticised for the handpass that bounced in front of the defender and led to him spilling it for Canavan to capitalise on.
Once again the wet weather and soggy turf must be taken into account, but it’s not the type of goal All-Ireland contenders should be conceding. Even though mistakes like that are more likely to happen at this time of year.
Darragh Canavan finds the back of the net for @TyroneGAALive pic.twitter.com/7KwZxEiO6a
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 1, 2020
In the closing stages, Tyrone pressed up and tried to force Patton to go long. With the sides deadlocked at 1-11 each on 61 mintes, a booming kick-out was gathered by the excellent Langan.
He was fouled, and Ciaran Thompson edged Donegal in front. It was the fourth score in the second period that arrived from a Patton restart.
After McKenna missed a scoreable free in the 66th minute, a short Patton kick-out saw Donegal patiently hold possession for 90 seconds before Oisin Gallen curled over a superb effort to extend the lead to two.
The Donegal goalkeeper dealt confidently with a high lob into the area amid the swirling breeze in the closing stages. Tyrone couldn’t concoct a late goal, leaving Donegal two wins away from the Ulster three-in-a-row.
The42 GAA Weekly is here! Join hosts Shane Dowling and Marc Ó Sé as they preview Tipperary v Limerick, Donegal v Tyrone, and the rest of the weekend’s action:
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