'It's on the horizon' - McGuinness eyes league final
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness says a league final appearance at Croke Park would be beneficial in building squad depth and experience.
The Tir Chonaill men came from six points down to share the spoils with Galway at Fr Tierney Park, despite playing most of the second half with 14 men.
The sit top of the Division 1 pile, unbeaten on nine points, with games away to Roscommon and Monaghan to follow.
Last year's All-Ireland finalists look well placed to finish in the top two, in sharp contrast to last year where the handbrakes were pulled in the league with Croke Park in sight due to the scheduling of the Ulster Championship.
This time around it’s an entirely different proposition, with the league decider taking place four weeks before their Ulster opener against Down.
With the likes of Paul O’Hare (23), Kevin Muldonn (19) and Conor McCahill (18) all seeing more game time, Donegal’s impressive run of results continues.
Asked whether a league final date is on his mind, McGuinness said: "It is, obviously. It’s on the horizon now in the context of if we win one more game, we are probably there.
"We want to go and win the next game. We are trying to build in the game plan and younger players getting an opportunity, trying to develop depth.
"Paul O’Hare (above) got 70 minutes today, Kevin Muldoon came into the game and did exactly what we wanted in that moment. He’s an Under-20 player, another one in at the deep end in a big game.
"That’s all we’re looking to do, the same things that we were chasing at the beginning of the league, we are still chasing them, but if we win another game we are probably there."
His Galway counterpart Padraic Joyce lamented the draw from building up such an advantageous position in Ballyshannon.
The Tribesmen have had an up-and-down league campaign and remain very much in the relegation picture.
Winless Monaghan are all-but gone, with one from Armagh (2 points), Galway (4) and Dublin (4) looking the most likely to slip through the trapdoor.
"It’s huge learnings for us," Joyce told RTÉ Sport. "We’ve travelled to Armagh, to Kerry and Donegal and come away with four points. That’s pleasing for us.
"It’s always in your own hands. If you get relegated from any division it’s your own fault. You have six games to get organised. We have two left, and we are going to need results. We know that."
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