MAYO WIN WILL GIVE US SAM CONFIDENCE

O'Donnell says Donegal can step up now on national stage

- By KARL O'KANE

DONEGAL have answered the Ulster question in spades - but their national issue still remains unresolved.

Last weekend was a good starting point though and a serious 'gut check' with forward Shane O'Donnell pointing to the significance of their hard fought victory Mayo.

Jim McGuinness' men not only ended their Championship losing streak against Mayo, but also took a first big scalp outside Ulster in his second term in charge.

While Donegal have laid waste to all in front of them in the Ulster Championship, winning back to back Anglo-Celt cups on his return to the hot seat, they've struggled against big guns outside the province.

Some are starting to point to McGuinness' intense focus on Ulster, and the hard path through the province, as a possible contributory factor.

Last year Cork took Donegal down at Pairc Ui Chaoimh the All-Ireland round robin series, and after defeating Louth in the All-Ireland quarter-final, Galway turned Donegal over in the All-Ireland semi-final.

They've also had big trouble with Mayo in recent years, losing their last three Championship encounters and crashing out of the competition in 2013 under McGuinness, 2015 and 2019.

The chaos and hunger Mayo are capable of producing appears to knock Donegal out of their rhythm.