Senior Football: Donegal v Mayo - Aug 1

Donegal 1-14 Mayo 2-6


In a game that looked like it would be a classic one sided rout, Mayo gave Donegal some food for thought with a spirited performance and some fine shooting in the first half, and even though the westerners played the second half at a on man disadvantage, the outcome was never a sure thing until the final few minutes.

Mayo's Rob Murphy tries to get past Donal McNulty.

Donegal went in at half time with the smallest of leads thanks to a stiff first half Mayo performance. Mayo’s first two scores came by way of the goal. The first from a penalty taken by Sean Kenny after Gabriel McTaggert was pulled down in the box, and the second came from McTaggert himself midway through the half. McTaggert pulled down a high ball into the box and finished under Brian Fitzpatrick in the Donegal goal. The score leveled the game as Donegal had pointed six times. Conor Rafferty, Kevin Curran, Paddy Kelly, and Daniel Graham all found the mark for Donegal. Mayo’s wing forward Aiden Campbell displayed some fine shooting and put three fine points over the bar from close to the sideline, while wing back Peter Heneghan finished a good Mayo move. Donegal kept their noses in front thanks for a goal from Declan Meehan, while Kieran Lillis and Brian Lafferty each pointed before half time. Mayo lost midfielder Sean Kenny for dissent and had to take the field a man short for the second half.

The second half saw Mayo continue to hang in there, though it was a much lower scoring affair than the first. Aiden Campbell leveled the scores, but Kevin Curran and Brian Lafferty restored Donegal’s lead. Darragh McLoughlin and Rafferty traded scores, but it was a case of defences on top for much of the second period. Donegal eventually put a more comfortable distance between the teams. Lafferty and Sean Burke pointed in the final minutes and Donegal remain on track for the semis in three weeks time.


Donegal: B. Fitzpatrick, T. Maguire, N. Collins, D. Graham, N. Gurhey, K. Lillis, M. McGinty, D. McNulty, B. Lafferty, C. Rafferty, K. Curran, D. Meehan, P. Kelly. Mayo: A. Coyne, F. Coyne, K. McLoughlin, P. Walsh, R. Murphy, P. Heneghan, M. Feeley, S. Kenny, A. Campbell, D. McLoughlin, K. Staunton, A. Benson, G. McTaggert.
 
By Rory O'Donnell