Sun July 8 - Senior Football: Donegal v Galway

Galway 1-5 Donegal 2-15

Donegal waited until the second half to deliver the knockout blows to Galway in another facile win for the star studded team.  Galway defended well and created enough chances to keep it close in the first half, but a team like Donegal will make you pay for misses and mistakes, and so it was, as Donegal sailed away in the second half with a 13 point win.

Galway's Cian McMonagle challenged by Liam Silke.

At the half it was Donegal by double scores, 0-6 to 0-3.  With Carlow man Brendan Murphy lining out in the middle of the field alongside Shane Carthy, Ciaran McFaul at center forward and Dermot Connolly at corner forward, Donegal held the aces.  Galway, for their part, dug in to contain the Donegal threat.  Connolly opened the scoring, and Galway answered with a Cian McMonagle point.  Galway had a number of early chances that drifted wide.  The tribesmen moved the ball well in the early going, and at one stage Ryan Forde found himself with the keeper to beat, but the angle was tight and Hugh Boyle saved well. 

The game lacked any kind of flow or rhythm as Galway defended well, and it settled into a pattern of Donegal searching  for avenues to exploit that were not there.  It did not help matters for Galway after Alan Egan was black carded for a hefty challenge on Murphy.  Connolly pointed a couple of frees, and scores also came from McFaul and Eoin McHugh.  Galway managed a couple of late points to keep it close at the break, 0-6 to 0-3 in favor of the northerners.

Sean Donnelly on the attack for Donegal.

The second half saw Donegal pull away with a goal from Connolly early in the half.  After Donegal had added two more points to their lead, the St. Vincent’s man won a high ball close to goal he put it away from inside the penalty area and put enough of a gap between the teams to turn it into a foregone conclusion.    All one way traffic as the substitutes were brought on.  With names like Oisin O’Neill and Micahael Carroll coming off the line, Donegal displayed the depth of riches in their panel this year.

Galway did have some goal chances, and Boyle did his job well getting down to save.  The scores flowed for Donegal however, and Connolly took an early shower as the job was done.  A late McMonagle goal saved some face for Galway who are still looking for a first win in this year’s championship.  Donegal with back to back handy wins, and July 22 it is the Connemara Gaels for another round with what are now the overwhelming favourites for the championship.   

Galway:  Jamie Kelly, Paddy Naughton, Dave Quinn, Stewey Cullen, Declan Walsh, Sean Moriarty, Alan Egan, Adam Gallagher, Kevin Cummins, Owen Gallagher, Jame Kehoe, Ryan Forde, Cian McMonagle.

Donegal:  Hugh Boyle, Niall Keenan, Liam Silke, Sean Doherty, Jason Noctor, Neil McEneaney, Brendan Murphy, Shane Carthy, Eoin McHugh, Ciaran McFaul, Sean Donnelly, Diarmaid Connolly, Lee Carr.

By Rory O'Donnell