Senior Football - Galway v Donegal

Donegal 4 – 14 Galway 0-8

Jack Doherty tries to break free for Donegal

By the time the game began all hope was lost for Galway as a chance at forcing a playoff for the semi-final was lost after the Connemara Gaels defeated Aidan McAnespies in the previous game.   Galway had defeated Donegal a few weeks earlier, and repeating the feat was always going to be a tall order.  Donegal picked away at the points for the first half and most of the second and saved the goals for the second.  To Galway’s credit, the Brighton based team always fielded with at least 4 Home Grown players most of whom are not long out of the underage program and their first experience of a season at this level will surely stand to them.

Keelan Sexton got his chance on the 45 in the absence of Ciaran McFaul on Sunday, and the Clareman made an impression with some excellent running and well taken scores.  Donegal kept the pressure up from the off and were five points to one up after 10 minutes.  Shane Killoran got the scoring started and it continued with Paul Mannion, Jack Boyle and Ciaran McDevitt.  Paddy Mullins got Galway off the mark, and Daire Keenan added two more to have it a 3 point game after the first quarter.

Donegal put the pressure on before the half time break with Sexton and Mannion proving to be too much for the Galway rearguard to handle.  Galway tried to get the ball up to their dangerous corner forwards who, when in possession looked likely to gain dividends, but the Donegal blanket was not going to give away much in that regard.

The second half saw the goals coming and sank Galway hopes of a positive end to the senior football season.  The first goal came from one of the Home Grown players, Chris O’Neill.  Sexton added a second goal soon afterwards and it was really a case of seeing out the time at that stage.  With the subs coming off the line from both benches, Sean Lowrey netted twice more for Donegal before all was said and done.  As it happened, Donegal will be playing a semi-final against a Connemara Gaels team that seem to have some new-found confidence following their victory against Aidan McAnespies earlier in he day.  For Galway, the Westerners are looking forward to a Junior B football semi-final against Donegal next Saturday.

Donegal:  Hugh Boyle, Ciaran Tobin, Jack Boyle, Aidan Sullivan, Jack O’Brien, Sean Doherty, Cory Gallagher, Shane Killoran, Ciaran McDevitt, Keelan Sexton, Jack Doherty, Paul Mannion, Chris O’Neill.

Galway:  Blaine Sheridan, Aidan Flanagan, Ricky Johnston, Paddy Mullins, Ciaran Potter, Stuart Cullen, Eoin Morissey, Keith Doyle, Pat Moylan, Danny Burke, Mike Moylan, Daire Keenan, John Dunne.

By Rory O'Donnell