Football

Donegal sharpshooters prove far too strong for defensive Derry as Tir Chonaill men move into Down semi-final

Cian Mulligan scores Donegal's second goal in the win over Derry Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Cian Mulligan scores Donegal's second goal in the win over Derry Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Cian Mulligan scores Donegal's second goal in the win over Derry Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Derry 0-16 Donegal 2-16

DERRY may have broken even in the second half at Celtic Park yesterday, but that was little reward from a game where the writing was on the wall in big, bold letters inside the opening 20 minutes.

All the talk before the game was about how, in challenge matches during recent weeks, the Oak Leafers had worked on a defensive screen which would be designed to frustrate a potent and pacy Donegal attack that had carved open Cavan a fortnight previous.

Considering they hadn’t played that way at all during a League campaign that ended in relegation to Division Four, and during which they were without so many of those who lined out yesterday, it appeared a risky ploy.

It’s a big ask to develop the kind of defensive system capable of fitting their needs in the space of a matter of weeks, and with a collection of men who haven’t played alongside each other all spring.

But what other option did Damian McErlain have? Roll the dice and go for a shoot-out, hoping against hope that Donegal have an off day in front of the posts?

That would be riskier still, with the only realistic alternative surely to try and keep it tight, settle into the game and try to expose any gaps that Declan Bonner’s men might leave as they pushed forward – and boy did they push forward.

In the opening stages of the game there was 12 men camped in the Derry half of the field and they played keep-ball, effectively using the width of the pitch to drag Derry here and there before cleverly and calmly working openings.

For their part the Oak Leafs had the numbers back, with Mark Lynch deployed as an unlikely sweeper throughout, but there just didn’t seem to be a cohesive defensive plan to actually stop Donegal finding space.

It took 15 minutes for Chrissy McKaigue to move onto Michael Murphy, during which time the Glenswilly man was at the centre of most Donegal plays as well as landing a lovely score from 40 metres out in between points from Leo McLoone after just 60 seconds and Jamie Brennan six minutes in.

When McLoone strolled forward from his defensive station to stroke over Donegal’s fourth point without reply, just eight minutes on the clock, you genuinely feared what the end score might be.

Derry were playing so deep that they were just inviting the Tir Chonaill men onto them, with Murphy and co only too happy to oblige given the virtually non-existent threat posed at the other end during this time.

And when a Lynch free offered some form of respite on the scoreboard, further punishment awaited as Donegal landed their first goal of the day.

A booming long kick-out from the sublime Shaun Patton was picked up by Murphy, worked through McHugh and Jamie Brennan who found Hugh McFadden running into space and his scuffed effort dribbled underneath Ben McKinless.

Twelve minutes gone, six points down, forced to chase the game, it didn’t look good for Derry. But in fairness, they shuffled the pack slightly, moving McKaigue and committing more to the attack and it reaped benefits as Lynch pointed before the impressive Emmett Bradley landed the first of three from play and eight overall.

He carried the fight to Donegal, with some of his finishing out of the top drawer, but Derry needed others to follow suit. As it was, outside of free-takers Bradley and Lynch, only late sub Niall Toner got off the mark.

At the other end Donegal had Paddy McBrearty back at the top of his game following a below-par showing against the Breffnimen. The Kilcar man slung over four points in the last 15 minutes of the first half, showing Brendan Rogers a clean pair of heels for a sublime third of the day.

Derry closed the gap to three with another class Bradley free as half-time loomed, but you never quite got the sense a comeback was on, especially when Donegal closed it out with the last three scores before the break to leave six of a gap.

McErlain introduced Liam McGoldrick and Jack Doherty at half-time but it was the men who came off the Donegal bench who would have the greater impact as the game wore on.

Odhran Mac Niallais replaced Michael Langan and was composed and creative in possession, while Gweedore’s Cian Mulligan – so impressive in his cameo against Cavan – was superb again as legs became weary beneath a baking hot sun.

That said, Bonner is unlikely to happy with how Donegal took their foot of the gas at times in the second half – something they were guilty of against the Breffnimen too. Against better teams they will be punished for such lapses.

Bradley and Lynch kept the scoreboard ticking over for Derry, mostly profiting from frees as the game ebbed towards its conclusion, though the Oak Leaf cause wasn’t helped by a couple of costly Shane McGuigan wides.

The outcome appeared inevitable even before Mulligan almost burst the net six minutes from time. There were five in it already when sub Daire O Baoill found Mulligan bursting down his right hand side, the 20-year-old oozing confidence as he lashed home.

Bradley almost responded with a goal of his own a minute later, striking the post, but it is unlikely to have made any difference to the eventual outcome.

Derry go into this morning’s Qualifier draw beaten but having at least put on a better performance that in their last two Ulster exits to Tyrone, while for Donegal it’s full steam ahead to June 10 and a semi-final clash with Down in Clones.

Derry: B McKinless; P McNeill, B Rogers, K McKaigue; K Johnston, C McKaigue, SL McGoldrick; C McAtamney, M Bateson; M Lynch (0-5, 0-4 frees), P Cassidy, E Bradley (0-8, 0-5 frees); P Coney, E Lynn, S McGuigan. Subs: L McGoldrick for SL McGoldrick (HT), J Doherty for Bateson (HT), C McWilliams for Rogers (52), N Toner for McGuigan (55), J Kielt (0-2), for McAtamney (61), P Hagan for Cassidy (61)

Yellow cards: C McWilliams (70)

Donegal: S Patton; P McGrath, N McGee, E Gallagher; C Ward, L McLoone (0-3), R McHugh (0-2); H McFadden (1-0), P Brennan; F McGlynn, M Murphy (0-2, 0-1 45), M Langan; C Thompson, J Brennan (0-1), P McBrearty (0-8, 0-3 frees). Subs: S McMenamin for McGee (12), O Mac Niallais for Langan (HT), C Mulligan (1-0) for P Brennan (44), C McGinley for Thompson (49), D O Baoill for McGrath (61), M McHugh for McGlynn (65)

Yellow cards: H McFadden (35+2), P Brennan (37), L McLoone (49)

Ref: M Deegan (Laois)

Att: 9,356