All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Dublin 1-15 Donegal 1-10
IF this was the last stand of this Donegal team, they can leave with the satisfaction that they gave it all they have.
As the sun started to disappear from the glorious Dublin sky, they were still standing, still trading blows until Paul Mannion finally floored them seconds shy of the 12th round bell.
Dublin deserved it. They made most of the running across the 70 minutes and had it not been for some poor finishing and no shortage of ill-discipline, it might have been over long before it was.
The Leinster champions finished with 13 men, with Diarmuid Connolly sent off for two yellows midway through the second half and Eoghan O’Gara dismissed for a strike on Neil McGee in injury-time.
Ryan McHugh’s well-worked goal was followed almost instantly by the second booking for Connolly, whose high tackle would have merited the dismissal even without the vehement insistence of the Donegal players.
It saved a game that looked to be rolling down the hill towards the kind of oblivion usually reserved for the Dubs’ Leinster outings. When Dean Rock’s free moved them 0-11 to 0-4 in front after 39 minutes, there seemed no way back for Donegal.
They rallied though and a fine Patrick McBrearty score was quickly added to as Leo McLoone’s brilliant flick played in Eamon McGee, who fed McHugh to palm home at the far post.
That took the plump out of Dublin’s cushion and, although Rock pushed them four clear with another free, things were turned up a notch when Dublin went down to 14.
It allowed Donegal to push up on Stephen Cluxton’s kick-outs with relative abandon, and to good effect. They had conceded the kick-out completely in the first half, retreating straight into their own half.
You could point to it being 0-2 apiece after 20 minutes as evidence of the success of that tactic, but Diarmuid Connolly should have had two goals by then.
Within 14 seconds of the throwin, he slipped inside Martin O’Reilly but scuffed his shot low and Mark Anthony McGinley’s leg turned it away.
Sixteen minutes in, the omnipresent John Small played him in and after he skirted around challenge of Eamon McGee, it was surely redemption. But as McGinley rose to his feet, beaten, the roar he heard was of disbelief as Connolly’s shot blew the hair off the post.
With a licence to attack, Small impressed all day. Kevin McManamon was the pick of the Dublin forwards, finishing with three from play and injecting the bustle that their play so badly lacked at times.
It was a strange sight to see them almost manufacture their own downfall in the second half. Their spells of keeping possession were so long that they went beyond sucking Donegal out and stepped into the realm of inviting needless pressure.
McManamon was the antidote, not least when he went on a solo mission and broke a few tackles to kick his side 0-13 to 1-6 ahead with a much-needed score on the hour.
Ciaran Kilkenny winning the last break in space in his half-forward line and taking off in a mad sprint back towards his own goal hopefully doesn’t start a trend.
Tyrone have been cleared from their path now but there are still questions over Dublin.
Their temperament is one. Connolly needs little introduction in a flashpoint. He and Ryan McHugh tangled and both were booked after eight minutes.
Jim Gavin will surely be annoyed at his forward for the recklessness of the tackle that saw him lined. He had kicked two stunning scores in the first half, one off either foot, but he will continue to be a target for the opposition.
Their series of strategic fouls in the dying moments killed the game and frustrated Donegal, but were nothing different from any other side would have done.
Cian O’Sullivan wasn’t solely on sweeping duty, at times picking up a man, and it was strange to see him pulled out of the middle at times.
Byrne did an impressive job on Patrick McBrearty, but it’s the poor quality of the service that Donegal offered their two inside that means Dublin have more to do to fully convince.
Donegal took the brave step of putting Murphy inside from the start and while he came out on occasion, that’s where he spent much of the first half.
But the plan was completely undermined by the quality of the ball in. Ryan McHugh (twice), Eoin McHugh and Odhran Mac Niallais were all guilty of putting ball out over Murphy’s head when he had got in front of the waspish Philly McMahon.
Donegal had 48 per cent of the ball in the first half but it wasn’t until Anthony Thompson broke through in the dying moments to point that Rory Gallagher’s side scored from play.
You may ask what more Dublin’s defence has to do to prove itself than keep an inside forward line of Murphy and McBrearty so quiet, but Kerry will not be so forgiving with the delivery on top of their men in a few weeks.
And that said, Bernard Brogan hardly touched leather all afternoon, shackled by Neil McGee and the more-lateralthan-usual approach that Dublin employed.
Donegal played Ryan McHugh at midfield and he did a good job against Michael Darragh Macauley, while Eoin McHugh was his usual busy self in the first period.
Anthony Thompson and Frank McGlynn looked fresh, but attacks too often broke down when Donegal carried into contact, with Martin McElhinney the most frequent culprit.
Dublin led by 0-9 to 0-4 at the break, but Donegal had created as many opportunities as Dublin had (17 each). Rory Gallagher’s side were just too wasteful, with Eoin McHugh and McElhinney spurning four chances between them.
Kieran Gillespie’s introduction at the break led to a defensive reshuffle, though it was bringing on Leo McLoone that really sparked some change.
He and fellow sub Christy Toye began to orchestrate their attack and both had late chances – McLoone with a fisted effort that Stephen Cluxton saved, and Toye unlucky not to be awarded a stoppage time penalty.
But the game was gone by the time the latter occurred after, six minutes into stoppage time, with three between them, Donegal pushed on and the fresh legs of Paul Mannion rounded the cover and slipped beautifully between the legs of McGinley to seal a seventh straight semi-final for Dublin.
The winter will determine whether it sealed the end for a handful of this Donegal team. If they go, they at least went out fighting.
Turning Point
IT could have been even a greater game changer if Donegal had kicked on from Ryan McHugh’s brilliantly worked goal in the 43rd minute. The game seemed set for a green and gold surge, but Donegal were just not able to harness the necessary momentum.
Top Score
RYAN McHugh’s and Paul Mannion’s goals were simply sublime. But the really crucial score came from a well-struck Dean Rock free immediately after McHugh found the Dublin net. Rock was ice cool as she steered a 40-metre free between the posts to give the Dubs a valuable four-point cushion.
Key Battle
MATCH STATS Dublin: S Cluxton; P McMahon (0-1), J Cooper (0-1), D Byrne; C Kilkenny (0-1), C O’Sullivan, J Small; B Fenton, MD Macauley; P Flynn, K McManamon (0-3), D Connolly (0-2); D Rock (0-5, 0-4 frees, 0-1 45), P Andrews (0-1), B Brogan. Subs: D Daly for Brogan (47), D Bastick for Macauley (53), P Mannion (1-1) for Andrews (56), E O’Gara for McManamon (67), E Lowndes for Rock (72). Blood replacement: M Fitzsimons for Cooper (67-74) Black card: B Fenton replaced by M Fitzsimons (77).
Donegal: MA McGinley; P McGrath, N McGee, E McGee; A Thompson (0-1), K Lacey, F McGlynn; R Kavanagh, R McHugh (1-0); O Mac Niallais, M McElhinney, E McHugh; P McBrearty (0-3, 0-2 frees), M Murphy (0-6, 0-5 frees, 0-1 45), M O’Reilly. Subs: K Gillespie for Mac Niallais (h-t), L McLoone for Kavanagh (42), C Toye for Thompson (47), M McHugh for E McGee (55), C Thompson for McElhinney (60), C McFadden for Lacey (71).
Referee: C Branagan (Down)
Dublin ratings
Stephen Cluxton: His frustration was evident as he tried to kick as far as he could to a free man when Donegal dropped off. Great positioning to make the save from McLoone’s fisted effort look easy. 7.5
Philip McMahon: Michael Murphy was his detail and he outscored the Glenswilly man from play, underlining his ability. Superb engine. 7.5
Jonny Cooper: Found himself as one of the two spare men in front of the full-back line for much of the first half, and was largely untested because of poor Donegal delivery. Kicked a score in the second period. 7
David Byrne: Clearly learned the lesson that the Cork defence hadn’t heeded as he shepherded Patrick McBrearty on to his right foot. The result was conceding just one point from play. 7.5
Ciaran Kilkenny: Hard to criticise him because he never actually gave the ball away, but his willingness to play the ball backwards in the second half was frustrating to see. Still hugely influential. 7.5
Cian O’Sullivan: His positional awareness is renowned and he stuck to the ‘D’ like glue, barring one first half instance when he had to go and meet Eoin McHugh. Joined the attack when Dublin needed legs. 6.5
John Small: Given the licence to roam freely by Donegal dropping off, that’s exactly what the Ballymun man did. Played in Connolly for his second goal chance, and was brave to win a second half free which was converted. 7
Brian Fenton: Did well on the Donegal kickout in the first half, getting his hands on three of them. Kicked an off balance wide when the fist would have done. Late black card spoiled a strong game. 7
Michael Darragh Macauley: Virtually anonymous in spells. The wing-to-wing runs for Cluxton’s kickouts were nonexistent and he was bested by Ryan McHugh for most of it. Didn’t win a single kickout. 5
Paul Flynn: Covered back in support of his full-back line a lot, particularly in the first half, and was a cool head on the ball in the second half, but passed up a couple of decent opportunities. 6
Kevin McManamon: See Star Man Diarmuid Connolly: Typical mix of the good and the bad. Should have had two goals. Kicked two absolutely sublime points. Got sucked in for his first yellow card and had no need to make the tackle he did for his second. 6
Paddy Andrews: Started brightly but struggled to shake Eamon McGee. Kicked a ridiculous score from the narrowest of angles on the half hour. Very quiet second half. 6
Dean Rock: As solid as ever from the dead ball, finishing with four frees and a 45, but that masks his overall lack of contribution. 6
Bernard Brogan: A horribly frustrating afternoon for the Dublin sharpshooter. Slipped kicking a late first half effort and had an early second half shot half-blocked before being taken off. 5.5
Substitutes
Darragh Daly: A tactical switch, he worked hard around the middle third without any great influence. 6
Denis Bastick: Smart foul on Christy Toye near the end, took a yellow for the team. 6
Paul Mannion: Will be very close to the starting 15 for Kerry now. Hit 1-1 and skinned the Donegal defence in the last 15 minutes. 7
Michael Fitzsimons: Introduced twice, playing just over seven minutes in total with little action. 6
Eoghan O’Gara: His sole contribution was to get sent off for a strike on Neil McGee, though Dublin are set to appeal. 5
Eric Lowndes: Not on long enough to be rated.
Donegal ratings
Mark Anthony McGinley: Really came of age on Saturday. Made one superb stop from Diarmuid Connolly and showed a marked improvement in his kick-outs. 8
Paddy McGrath: Gave his usual high- octane display but found Kevin McManamon quite a handful on many occasions. Got forward as quickly as possible. 7
Neil McGee: Another sound performance and was a big part of Bernard Brogan being taken off after being held scoreless. 7.5
Eamon McGee: Did little wrong before being substituted in the 52nd minute by Mark McHugh. Supplied the pass for Ryan McHugh’s goal. 6.5
Ryan McHugh: The Kilcar man is a certain Allstar nominee. Had another great 75 minutes on Saturday and then popped up in the right place at the right time. His game intelligence is second to none. 8
Karl Lacey: This is as great player with a lot of mileage on the clock. His, vision, courage and heart remain constant but the ferocious pace of the Dubs were just too much for the fourtime Allstar. 5.5
Frank McGlynn: Once again he was the link-man in several Donegal attacks. Always available and never afraid to go in where it hurts. 6
Rory Kavanagh: Another great servant, tried hard but struggled to get to the searing pace that Dublin bring to their game. Will probably be considering his county future after coming out of retirement once already 5.5
Odhran MacNiallais: Had one of his quieter matches for his county and was subbed at half-time. His relatively leisurely style made no impression on the constant and often manic intensity that Dublin brings to the game. 5
Anthony Thompson: Delivered his usual full-blooded shift and was at the heart of some telling counter-attacks as well as hitting a point when a goal looked on briefly in the first half and was replaced by Christy Toye. 6
Martin McElhinney: Was in possession quite a lot and seemed to relish the physical battle. But he lost possession on a number of occasions which the Dubs took full advantage of. 5.5
Eoin McHugh: Once again he took on the Dubs defence, but his accuracy deserted him, especially in the first half. Still, he made a great effort and tried to take on the Dublin defence as often as he could. 6.5
Paddy McBrearty: Had a few snap shot in both halves that were going over against Cork, but they dropped short and drifted wide on this occasion. 6.5
Michael Murphy: Contributed 0-6 and as usual alternated between midfield and full forward. Looked a bit jaded. Maybe needs a short break from inter-county football to recharge the batteries. 6
Martin O’Reilly: His attacking instinct was severely curtailed, when he was handed the task of trying to track Diarmuid Connolly. Still managed to get involved in the build up to Donegal’s wellcrafted goal. 6
Substitutes
Kieran Gillespie: Came in for his Gaoth Dobhair club-mate Odhran MacNiallais at half-time, and, as always, did not look out of place. He should be a key figure in Donegal’s looking period of transition. 6.5
Leo McLoone: Came on for a tiring Rory Kavanagh and made his mark on matters. His superb, instinctive flick of the ball to Eamon McGee unlocked the Dubs defence for Ryan McHugh’s goal. 6
Christy Toye: He came on for Anthony Thompson and was playing in a record 65th championship match for Donegal and made his usual solid contribution as he made a few probing runs at the Dublin defence. 6
Mark McHugh: Mark came on for Eamon McGee and made one penetrating run, but as not really all that much involved otherwise. 5.5
Ciaran Thompson: Not on long enough to be rated.
Colm McFadden: Not on long enough to be rated.
