Football

Donegal on a different level

Gearoid Adams and Frank Fitzsimons watch their side exit the Ulster SFC at the hands of Donegal Picture by Seamus Loughran
Gearoid Adams and Frank Fitzsimons watch their side exit the Ulster SFC at the hands of Donegal Picture by Seamus Loughran Gearoid Adams and Frank Fitzsimons watch their side exit the Ulster SFC at the hands of Donegal Picture by Seamus Loughran

Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Donegal 3-19 Antrim 1-9

OUT-CLASSED and obliterated. Yesterday was a chastening experience for the Antrim footballers as they bowed out of the Ulster Championship.

In the dead afternoon heat of Ballybofey, the 10,083 spectators witnessed the glaring chasm between a team on the cusp of reaching a Division One final and the other that stumbled and fell back into Division Four.

In truth, the Saffrons never stood a chance.

And yet, the visitors had the audacity to lead their hosts for 13 utopian minutes, thanks to a couple of stunning points from Tomas McCann and CJ McGourty’s dead-eyed accuracy from placed balls.

But once Donegal found their stride and Jamie Brennan rippled Antrim’s net on 32 minutes, it was game over.

Antrim’s joint managers Frank Fitzsimons and Gearoid Adams must have broken out in a million cold sweats in the second half as Donegal attacked from every conceivable angle to register a morale-sapping 2-11.

The final whistle was indeed a blessing.

“They were just at a different level than us in the second half,” said Fitzsimons.

“The pace they had was frightening. You have to hold your hands up and say we were beaten by a far, far, far better team.”

On a day where they needed everything to go their way to stand a chance, Antrim spurned a couple of first-half goal chances and dropped six or seven efforts short.

“Listen, we went out and tried our best. I think we did well in the first 20 minutes but you can’t miss the chances we missed in the first half and expect to beat a team like Donegal.

“I think we dropped six or seven balls into the keeper’s hands. At this level, they need to go dead at least [in order] to push up on their kick-outs.

“But, as you could see, they are an unbelievable team. They are different gravy and much better than us.”

Antrim’s joint manager dismissed the notion that the Matthew Fitzpatrick disciplinary controversy – freed after a 48-week ban was lifted last Thursday night – affected their preparations.

“No, I don’t think so. He was like a Rolls Royce there in the first half before getting injured,” said Fitzsimons.

“He was a massive loss to us too during that game.”

He added: “We were very poor in the second half, and when you miss the chances we missed it sucks the energy out of you.

“No-one goes out to get beaten by a score like that. We tried obviously but we’re not at that level.”

Despite giving five players their first taste of the Ulster Championship, yesterday was a breeze for Rory Gallagher’s side.

“The reality is that we fully expected to win," said the Fermanagh man. "We are operating out of Division One; Antrim were relegated to Division Four and had a difficult 10 days [with the Matthew Fitzpatrick case].

“We did not play as well as we would have liked but in the second half we showed some moments.”

Patrick McBrearty came off the Donegal bench in the 53rd minute and bagged 1-2 while defender Paddy McGrath stole forward to raise another green flag for the 2012 All-Ireland champions.

“We expected nerves,” admitted Gallagher.

“We had five players making their debut, seven their first start in a Championship game and we expected that it would take time for them to bed in.

“We were fortunate that Jamie [Brennan] got the goal and that gave us a cushion.”

Gallagher was able to hold McBrearty, Eoin McHugh, Martin McElhinney and Karl Lacey in reserve until the second half, which illustrated the difference in class between the sides.

“Paddy got injured in the Roscommon game and he has been working his way back to fitness and getting into form,” explained Gallagher.

“Karl, Martin McElhinney and Eoin McHugh were guys that we would have picked most days.

“Since I have become manager, I would have picked them nearly every day when they were fit.

“The reality is that they missed chunks of training and they are working their way back to fitness and we made the decision that the other players had more in their legs.”

Donegal await the winners of next week’s derby clash between Derry and Tyrone – and on yesterday’s evidence they will take some stopping.

Antrim will turn their attentions to next month’s All-Ireland Qualifiers, and Fitzsimons was keen to stress the importance of the group “sticking together” and trying to put a run together through the back door.

“Everybody will go back to their clubs, they’ll take a week off and hopefully they come back refreshed,” he said.

“I hope the whole panel will stick together now. That’s very, very important. I’ve said that to them, that it’s the most important thing to come out of here today.”