Senior Footballers Fall To Donegal Defeat In Ballybofey

DUBLIN 0-16 

DONEGAL 0-20 

Image courtesy Mark McDonagh 

It proved a disappointing evening for Dublin as they succumbed to Donegal by four points in their Allianz National Football League Division 1 Round 2 encounter at a rainy Páirc Mhic Cumhaill, Ballybofey on Saturday.

The hosts controlled large parts of the opening half with the excellent Daire Ó Baoill making the most of the elements as he contributed six points to leave his side leading by 0-11 to 0-6 by half-time.

The Dubs improved significantly after the break but were never able to get back on level terms and Donegal finished strongly to register a deserved win.

With the wind at their backs, the hosts opened up brightly and pushed two points clear by the 3^rd minute following well-taken scores from Shane O’Donnell and Michael Langan.

Dublin replied to these concessions in an impressive manner with Killian McGinnis opening their account soon after and the Skerries Harps clubman secured possession in the 5^th minute, allowing Colm Basquel to level matters.

A misplaced kick-out by Shaun Patton handed Basquel the chance to kick Dublin ahead in the 9^th minute but that score preceded a barren spell of seventeen minutes as Donegal took hold of proceedings.

A Ciarán Thompson free restored parity before Ó Baoill kicked into gear with two points within a minute while Oisín Gallen also split the uprights to leave the hosts leading by double scores (0-6 to 0-3) by the end of the first quarter.

That margin could well have been greater but for some errant shooting from Donegal but Ó Baoill restamped his class on events with the first two-pointer of the game in the 25^th minute.

Dublin finally struck back through Sean Bugler and McGinnis with substitute Tom Lahiff seeing his goal chance well-blocked by Patton in the 28^th minute.

Almost inevitably, it was Ó Baoill that enhanced his team’s position with another score from outside the arc but Dublin landed one final score of the half via Ciarán Kilkenny as they entered the break trailing by five points.

While Dublin were left waiting an inordinate amount of time at the interval, they showed few ill-effects as they resumed on the front foot with substitute Niall Scully reducing their arrears in the 36^th minute.

A sublime Basquel score and a fine effort by Greg McEneaney brought the visitors to within two points although their momentum stalled briefly as they conceded a score to Shane O’Donnell in the 40^th minute.

With their fortunes improving around centrefield, McEneaney added another smart point for Dublin but Gallen ensured that his side still enjoyed the upper hand with his second score of the night.

Kilkenny offered encouragement to Dublin’s comeback ambitions as he kicked a two-pointed score in the 46^th minute but points at the opposite end from Gallen and Peadar Mogan left the Dubs frustratingly short of levelling matters.

That trend continued as two Luke Breathnach points within four minutes kept Dublin well in the hunt but crucially, Donegal were able to restore breathing room courtesy of a brace of Paddy McBrearty scores.

Gallen’s point in the 65^th minute extended the home lead to four points and with Dublin unable to create a goal chance in the closing stages, they fell short by the final whistle despite a late score from substitute Sean Lowry.

Scorers – Dublin: C Kilkenny (1 2pt), C Basquel 0-3 each; K McGinnis, S Bugler, G McEneaney, L Breathnach 0-2 each; N Scully, S Lowry 0-1 apiece. Donegal: D Ó Baoill 0-6 (2 2pt); O Gallen 0-4 (2f); P McBrearty 0-3 (2f); S O’Donnell, M Langan 0-2 each; C Thompson (f), C O’Donnell, P Mogan 0-1 apiece.

Dublin: G Sheridan; D Byrne, T Clancy, S MacMahon; B Howard, C Murphy, G McEneaney; J Madden, K McGinnis; T Lahiff, S Bugler, C Kilkenny; B O’Leary, E O’Donnell, C Basquel. Subs: T Lahiff for K Lahiff (25), C Tyrell for Byrne (30), N Scully for Madden (30), L Breathnach for Basquel (43), S Lowry for O’Donnell (63).

Donegal: S Patton; F Roarty, B McCole, P Mogan; R McHugh, E Bán Gallagher, C Moore; M Langan, H McFadden; D Ó Baoill, C O’Donnell, S O’Donnell; C Thompson, O Gallen, C McGonagle. Subs: P McBrearty for C O’Donnell (53), D Mac Giolla Bhríde for McFadden (53), E McHugh for S O’Donnell (61), O Doherty for R McHugh (61), M Curran for Gallagher (63).

Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).