McEniff believes Armagh may profit from defeat

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: Seán Moran talks to Donegal manager Brian McEniff who is well placed to assess the title contenders

Relegated Donegal might be the only county whose fate is settled in Division One A but manager Brian McEniff has had a good opportunity to assess the other teams in the group with the exception of Roscommon who travel to Ballybofey on Sunday.

"It's difficult to predict without seeing the team selections and without knowing where the league fits into the plans of the counties. Last year was a kiss of death for the semi-finalists and all four lost in the first round of their championships," he says. "Kerry and Armagh weren't even in Division One.

"Of the teams we played, Galway were very good in the first match with good forwards. We would have seen the strengths and weaknesses of all the teams we played. Cork got three goals against us but Tyrone will be a good test for them.

"Kerry impress me a lot at full strength. Seamus Moynihan and Darragh Ó Sé are two outstanding players with leadership qualities and I think playing Moynihan in the half-back line gives them an extra dimension."

McEniff is well acquainted with the more salubrious reaches of the National Football League. During the five years of his previous tenure in charge of the county Donegal qualified for the knockout stages every season.

McEniff never managed to win the competition but would hardly complain in light of his haul, between 1990-94, of two Ulster titles and the county's only All-Ireland. In fact the quarter-final defeat by Dublin in 1992 came to be regarded as a vital contribution towards that year's All-Ireland success against the same opposition. It would also be the county's last competitive loss for 13 months.

Ironically it was the year in which he came closest to winning the league that the Donegal manager most regrets qualifying for the play-offs. And in that regret he sees lessons for at least one of the teams contesting the semi-final places this weekend.

Having won the 1992 All-Ireland Donegal embarked on an unbeaten run through the league, which only ended after a replayed final the following May. But the effects of that run were to haunt McEniff in the months ahead.

"In the run-in to the quarter-final Tommy Ryan got a broken jaw. (Anthony) Molloy's and (Martin) Gavigan's knees went. Noel Hegarty got a suspension, Tony Boyle ended up missing 12 months with a mystery injury and James McHugh developed back trouble.

"We had to go to the Ulster final with all those injuries and still only lost by two points. In retrospect what we should have done in the league is bow out and rested the players."

It's not hard to see parallels between that Donegal side and current All-Ireland champions Armagh, who went unbeaten for 11 months until a few weeks ago when Tyrone brought the run to a halt.

It represented better timing in terms of ending a winning run than Donegal had experienced 10 years ago and there is still a chance that Joe Kernan's side can progress to the semi-finals.

McEniff's advice is "don't".

"I'm not sure what Big Joe's attitude to the league is at this stage although I'm sure he doesn't want to lose three matches in a row. But last year they went out very tamely against Laois (in the Division Two semi-final).

"If I were Joe I don't think I'd be looking for a semi-final place. There's only so much you can take out of players and a lot of them have been on the go since the minor team of '92. I must say that I'd be watching them for the championship."

Even so McEniff feels that Armagh may have done enough to secure a last-four spot even though he doesn't see them winning in Tralee.

Currently the All-Ireland champions share top spot with Cork on eight points each and an identical scoring difference of 20.

On the same number of points Tyrone entertain Cork this weekend with the winner qualifying and the loser having to await the other results.

"You can't tell your players to go out and take it easy. I fancy Tyrone to beat Cork by more than I think Kerry will beat Armagh. So my instinct is that Tyrone and Armagh will reach the semi-finals."

For the first time in 15 years Donegal will be dropping from the top division. It's been a difficult season for McEniff who took the job just after being elected chairman of the county board.

Injuries have tied his hands for much of the campaign.

"John Gildea's knee is in bad shape and despite what the doctors say he wants to play. Adrian Sweeney has a back problem. Maybe 10 years ago I'd have propped them up and sent them out but I don't want them hampered in the lead-in to the championship."

There is a further complication in that Donegal's under-21s have qualified for an Ulster semi-final against Derry this Saturday, the day before the county's final league fixture with Roscommon. An added twist is that the under-21s are managed by McEniff's son Seán.

But the manager won't be in a hurry to press-gang the players into a second match at the weekend.

"I could probably have insisted that I get the players but instead I'll wait and see how it goes. I have to bear in mind that success at under-21 level would mean a lot in Donegal."