A MEASURE of the quality of Donegal’s display – they registered even more scores than the number of post-match interviews Jim McGuinness had to conduct.
The homecoming hero was always going to be in demand and was never going to tire of talking about this demolition of Cork. The Glenties man was understandably very pleased with his team’s performance, with a dozen different scorers, and 1-13 registered from play in at times wild and windswept conditions:
“As I said to the boys in the team meeting before the game, ‘There’ll be a big crowd in Ballybofey and all they want is to know that there’s an honesty and purity to what we’re doing and that we’re going to work hard for each other and try to do our best for them’.
“Last year the team got criticised and challenged a lot in that regard so it was important that the energy was there, then try to match that with quality. We got all of that but there’s still an awful lot to work on.”
This was a test of how to deal with tough conditions and while Donegal eventually passed it in style, Cork were poor with the wind at their backs.
The hosts used the wind well in the first half, kicking a series of scores from distance, but the Rebels were strangely reluctant to do likewise and managed only 1-3 after the break.
Cork boss John Cleary suggested that the wind “died” in the second half, but the flags still seemed to be flying away from the town end. Admittedly the weather turned wild in the third quarter but Cork still scored their second goal in that period.
Donegal simply showed much more determination and desire, despite a depleted line-up, especially lacking some big men. In the absence through injury of Jason McGee, Michael Langan, and Hugh McFadden, Donegal lacked physicality around the middle, although Caolan McGonagle literally stepped forward in that regard in the second period.
Cork chose to play against the wind and the hosts took advantage, starting strongly and racing into a 0-4 to no score lead, with the Rebels barely able to get the ball out of their own half.
When they did at last, though, it ended up in the Donegal net in the 15th minute. A chain of hand-passing linked by hard running led to Ruairi Deane picking out Eoghan McSweeney at the far post and he palmed into goal. A point soon followed from Brian O’Driscoll, and it looked good for the Rebels, but Donegal then made the conditions count in their favour.
Odhran Doherty, who’d already scored after an earlier dummy, was key, twice in succession sending scores over off the outside of his boot, before a huge effort from Ciaran Thompson.
Cork continued to pose problems with their power, handling the ball well despite the rain coming down, but Donegal reeled off a series of long range points.
The hosts smartly set up central shooting opportunities and then used the wind well, notably from scores by Daire O Baoill and even full-back Brendan McCole on a rare foray forward.
Still, McGuinness admitted he feared their lead of 0-12 to 1-3 might not be enough, saying: “We felt we needed seven or eight points because of the power of the breeze but we’re really happy that fellas stepped up.”
Donegal did take their time stepping out, admittedly, deploying the old trick of making the Rebels wait from their in the rain, and that seemed to pay off.
With most expecting Cork to come at Donegal, the opposite applied, the hosts pushing up, and they got the first three scores of the second half, while Ciaran Thompson forced goalkeeper Patrick Doyle into a save with his legs.
Then sloppiness proved costly. With goalkeeper Gavin Mulreany – standing in for the suspended Shaun Patton – advanced into midfield, Donegal fumbled possession in the Cork half and Deane turned provider again. His long kick-pass just eluded the fingertips of McCole and came to Jones, who cantered clear to finish comfortably to the unguarded net.
The same player added a point a few minutes later, to leave five points between the teams, 0-15 to 2-4, but Donegal responded in style to snuff out any hopes of a Cork comeback.
With the excellent Ryan McHugh launching so many attacks, purposeful running forced two frees, both converted by McBrearty and then midfielder Domhnall MacGiolla Bhride added a fine score.
Victory was absolutely assured when Caolan McGonagle once again pounced on the ball, found Ciaran Moore, and he supplied McBrearty, who held off an opponent before driving to the net.
McGuinness concluded as a very content manager, with “a lot to work on but a good positive attitude, and I suppose the fingerprint of what we want to achieve with the team started coming to the fore – quick transitional football and good support play.”
Donegal: G Mulreany (0-1 free); M Curran, B McCole (0-1), K McGettigan; R McHugh (0-1), C McGonagle (0-1), C Moore; C Thompson (0-1), D MacGiolla Bhride (0-1); P Mogan (0-1), O Doherty (0-3), S O’Donnell (0-1); P McBrearty (capt.) (1-6, 0-6 frees), D O Baoill (0-2), J Brennan (0-1).
Substitutes: E Gallagher for McGettigan (23); O Caulfield for O’Donnell (56); J MacCeallabhui for O Doherty (56); L McGlynn for Brennan (64); A Doherty for O Baoill (69).
Cork: P Doyle; M Shanley, T Walsh, S Meehan; L Fahy, R Maguire, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan; E McSweeney (1-0), D Buckley, B O’Driscoll (0-2); R Deane, C Corbett, C Og Jones (1-2).
Substitutes: D Cashman for Shanley (47); M Cronin (0-1) for Buckley (49); S Sherlock (0-1 free) for Hurley (53); F Herlihy for Deane (58).
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).
Attendance: 5,092.