GAA
Donegal boss Declan Bonner is certainly no fan of the new experimental rules, and was not shy when it came to expressing his views after watching his side cruise to a 2-19 to 1-7 success over Sligo in a challenge game in Letterkenny at the weekend.
“All the (new) rules are doing is slowing the game down,” he declared.
“You are going three passes and all of a sudden you turn and you have to go back again.”
“I didn’t agree with them from the start and the more you look at them you wonder how someone can let those rules go through,” he stated.
He said that he was glad that the new experimental rules are just being trialled in the Dr. McKenna Cup and hopes "that will be the end of them."
He contended that all the top teams are trying to play more expansive football.
“Football was starting to lift, in my mind, over the past couple of years, and the top teams were definitely trying to push it on. But the rules are there and we have to go with it, but watching the first half all it was doing was slowing us down,” he said.
Donegal fielded a very young side – Bonner estimated the average age was under 23 – but they were on top from early on and led by 1-6 to 0-5 at the break, with Ciaran Diver getting the goal and Jason McGee, who scored three first-half points, particularly prominent in his return to the team.
The home side were much more impressive in a second half that saw both teams emptying the substitutes’ bench.
Eoin McHugh, back from injury, got a welcome run-out and youngster Niall O’Donnell was among those who impressed.
Donegal surged into a 12-point lead before Bundoran’s Jamie Brennan got their second goal at the end of a flowing move to put them 2-16 to 0-7 ahead.
Hugh McFadden came on in the closing stages to add a couple of points and while Sligo pulled back a late goal through Adrian Cummins it was a mere consolation.
Donegal: S Patton; C Ward (0-1), B McCole, C Morrison; T McClenaghan, E Doherty, P Mogan; J McGee (0-3), Caolan McGonigle; M Langan (0-3, 1f); M McElhinney, P Dolan; C Diver (1-1), L Connor (0-1), M Reilly. Subs used: C Thompson (0-3, 1f), J Brennan (1-0), N O’Donnell (0-3), D Mulgrew (0-1), H McFadden (0-2), J Campbell (0-1), M Lynch, E McHugh, P Brennan.
Sligo: A Davy; N Mullen, P Laffey, K Henry; K Cawley, P McNamara, G O’Kelly Lynch (0-1); P Kilcoyne, D Cummins (0-1); S Carribine, L Towey, O Kennedy (0-1); A Marren (0-2, 1f), L Gilmartin, A McLaughlin (0-2).
Subs: A Cummins (1-0), M Gordon, G Wall, B Walsh, K O’Dowd.
Referee: S McGonigle (Aodh Ruadh)
Donegal: S Patton; C Ward (0-1), B McCole, C Morrison; T McClenaghan, E Doherty, P Mogan; J McGee (0-3), C McGonigle; M Langan (0-3, 1f); M McElhinney, P Dolan; C Diver (1-1), L Connor (0-1), M Reilly.
Subs: C Thompson (0-3, 1f), J Brennan (1-0), N O’Donnell (0-3), D Mulgrew (0-1), H McFadden (0-2), J Campbell (0-1), M Lynch, E McHugh, P Brennan.
Sligo: A Davy; N Mullen, P Laffey, K Henry; K Cawley, P McNamara, G O’Kelly. J Lynch (0-1); P K, Dara C (0-1); S Carribine, L Towey, O Kennedy (0-1); A Marren (0-2, 1f), L Gilmartin, A McLaughlin (0-2).
Subs: A Cummins (1-0), M Gordon, G Wall, B Walsh, K O’Dowd.
Referee: Seamus McGonigle (Aodh Ruadh)
