Mickey Moran is relieved. A bit fed up but relieved anyway. You know how it is in this game. If Donegal play in the All-Ireland final in September Mickey will complain about all the media attention. This week he is complaining about the lack of it, writes Tom Humphries.

"I looked at them all. The papers mentioned '92 and Dublin and Galway, and Sligo and Mayo, and then mentioned them all again, but they didn't mention those boys in there. That was a great inspiration to us. We showed that to good effect."

At half-time one imagines he was a little more animated than he is now.

"At half-time? Well I think the period before it was the first time we'd lost our composure. The last seven or eight minutes of the first half, I said to them, that we'd actually played like club footballers. We were unsettled, giving it away, too quick in our decision making instead of holding the ball and using it. Still we were only a point down. I said to them now, though, it's a long way from relegation fodder last October."

Ever think you were going to lose?

"After the second goal it went through my head. Goals win matches obviously. To knock over three points in such a short time? Great character."

Jim McGuinness has become a veteran of county dressing-rooms. He knows the rules regarding replays. Modest about your own performance but accentuating the positives, talk up the other lads too. "I think we showed a lot of composure after both goals. It's been happening to us all season. We've been conceding, I wouldn't say dodgy goals, all season, but goals we wouldn't normally concede.

"We usually defend very well and we responded well to the goals. That's the most important thing. We were happy to be in here just a point down. As long as you're chipping away at the scoreline you'll not be that far away at the end. We won't be fazed. The replay is a new ball-game. We're heading for our seventh game. Same preparation. It's nothing new to us. We've played three years' championship football in a year.

"I thought Ciarán Whelan had a brilliant game in the middle of the field for them. Dublin played well in general. There was good movement from both sets of forwards and some nice long-range passes and both sets of forwards were winning the ball first-time. Hopefully, next time we can go one point further."

The forwards were more concerned with the comeback than what caused it. "We didn't play well, our general play wasn't good but we showed massive character to come back, I thought," said Adrian Sweeney. "We'll take it back again and address all our mistakes. We'll just have to sit down and look at things. I had no idea how much time was left when they got the second point but I could see the security guards moving. I heard two minutes when we were a point down.

"On the last point it crossed my mind to go for goal but I remember watching the Sligo forward on Saturday and the same thing happened and I thought he made the right decision."

Paul McGonagle sprung to life in the final few frantic minutes, scoring a point and creating one for Adrian Sweeney. He felt there was room for better stuff.

"I think we deserved another run at it. I think we played better football. It seems to be easier to play into the Canal End for some reason. I think our character was fantastic at the end. I'd a lot of energy left at the end and the ball broke for me so I took a chance, went forward and took a score. Last ball I tried to find Eddie Sweeney, caught it on the wing, and made it in to fist it over.

"Playing in front of that Hill, it's shocking enough so it is. We played badly against Armagh and we played badly again today. Personally, I feel that way."

Six championship games gone. August getting older by the day. Still standing. There's been worse times to be a Donegal man playing in front of the Hill.