That pressure brought the best out of them. If you contrast that to the display Kildare put in against Dublin in Nowlan Park three weeks ago, it couldn’t be more different. Without the pressure of having to get a result, they lost by nine points.
In typical fashion Donegal are showing their depth of character. A season full of on and off pitch blows. Easy excuses they refuse to use. Scoring 19 points against Monaghan last weekend and winning will be galvanising for them. Ballybofey, an evening time throw-in and a large crowd. An electric atmosphere awaits. How well can Donegal curtail the movement and influence of Darragh Canavan? The answer here will be a big factor.
In the Tailteann Cup tomorrow there are four teams with high confidence. And rightly so. Confidence is a wildfire – it burns off second-guessing. Each team has built trust, resilience and additional clarity towards their game plans in recent weeks. Extra games, extra sessions, more time together. It all adds up.