Golden boy so precious to Tyrone

Bradley left to forage in the fullforward line with an array of team-mates ready to break forward at will, is as close to Donegal’s class of 2014 as you’ll get.

“Yeah, that’s fair to say,” Gavin nodded. “Just look at their scoring in Ulster to see how good they are at that counter-attacking style.

“How easily they dispatched Armagh playing a very defensive system and a really impressive attacking game, they seem to have got the balance right.

“So it’s going to be a tough game for us.”

The 45-year-old added: “If you look at any of the games Tyrone have played in, the Ulster Championship for example, even the League, they have a very, very impressive defensive system,” he said.

“It’s very, very difficult to break down. They’re very skilful at it, very skilful defenders.

“They’re a very impressive attacking team as well, to see the scores they’re putting up in each of their Championship games – and against traditionally very good defensive teams, like Donegal, they broke them down at their ease.

“They’ve got the mix right and it’s going to be a very tight and close game.”

But at the same time Gavin insists Dublin’s concentration has been on themselves.

“We give each team the ultimate respect and prepare as best as we can for the challenge that they bring,” he remarked.

“But we’ve always tried to play our game plan and execute that to the best of our ability. That’s been our key focus”.

NO PAIN, NO GAIN Jim Mcguinness of Donegal commiserates with Dublin’s Jim Gavin in 2014 but Blues haven’t lost since in SFC SWEEPER Colm Cavanagh has been key player for Harte, below MICKEY HARTE described him as “gold dust” after one outstanding...