EirGrid Ulster U20 Football Championship quarter-final
Donegal 0-15 Antrim 0-15 (after extra-time; Donegal win 5-4 on penalties)
DANIEL Marley was the Donegal hero as his late penalty put the Tir Chonaill side into an Ulster semi-final with Derry in a fortnight's time after a thriller in Ballybofey.
Marley, Daniel Gildea, Blake McGarvey, Shaun Ward and David Boyle were all successful from the spot and Ryan McQuillan, Conor Hand, Cahir Donnelly and Dan McNicholl also scored for Antrim, but Eoin Gough missed his shot.
This this was a game that Antrim could have won in an action-packed extra-time where they led by 0-14 to 0-11 with seven minutes to go thanks to man-of-the-match McQuillan and Conor Johnson.
That extra time produced 12 scores in stark contrast to the 18 spread out over the regulation 60 minutes.
But Donegal clawed their way back through late points from Conor Boyle and Shaun Ward to tie matters, just as they had at the end of normal time.
Both sides were guilty of some wayward shooting throughout the match with Donegal hitting 17 to Antrim’s 16 wides.
Donegal had been smoothly out of the blocks and late starter David Boyle arced over a neat point after a minute.
But Antrim responded swiftly when Callum Higgins found Ronan McKillop with a delightful pass and the latter equalised.
Play was pretty turgid for the next 10 minutes before Boyle pounced on a loose ball and swept over a point.
It took a brilliant block from Donegal defender Sean Doherty to prevent a certain goal from Antrim’s impressive Niall Fallon in the 10thminute.
Donegal had most of the play with corner-forward Blake McGarvey looking especially dangerous.
It was McGarvey, who eluded a few tackles and slung over a fine effort in the 14th minute to put Donegal up by 0-3 to 0-1.
But Antrim, inspired by towering midfielders Eunan Quinn and Conor Hand, were growing into the game.
They missed a certain goal when McKillop got inside the Donegal defence.
Fallon was standing free on the edge of the square, but McKillop went for the point and skewed the ball past the post.
Conor Hand clipped over a fine point for Antrim in the 18th minute, but Donegal hit back as Cian Rooney was fouled and Boyle hit a soaring free to put Donegal ahead by 0-4 to 0-2.
The home side had most of the play, but it was Antrim who finished the half the strongest with a McQuillan point and a sumptuous leveller from Fallon.
Donegal threw on Conor O’Neill and he obliged by converting a 13-metre free to edge back in front.
But Antrim dominated the next 10 minutes and the commanding Quinn hoofed over a stupendous point and this was followed by the score of the match from Antrim full-forward McQuillan to put Antrim into a 0-7 to 0-5 lead.
Donegal rallied briefly and Boyle landed two frees to level matters in the 47th minute.
But Antrim had a good chance to go in front two minutes later but sub Conchuir Johnson hesitated and the chance was lost.
Still Antrim, inspired by two speedster wing-backs Tiernan McCormick and Patrick Ferris, cut through and McQuillan hit two great points to put them ahead by 0-9 to 0-7.
Donegal had a great chance of a goal when Boyle found himself clear, but Antrim keeper Shea Laverty pulled off a superb save.
Boyle pointed Donegal’s fourth free of the half to leave just a point between the sides as four minutes of extra-time beckoned.
And, Donegal midfielder Christy Mulligan levelled matters in the 33rd minute.
Antrim had a late chance to seal it but keeper Laverty was short from a free and from a 45.
It was Antrim who again got their noses in front in extra-time but Donegal refused to be beaten, and despite trailing by two at one stage, they levelled again to force the shoot-out.
MATCH STATS
Donegal A Cullen; S Doherty, F Doherty,
D Gallagher; C McMenamin, K Murray,
K McGee; C Mulligan (0-1) L McGranaghan;
D Boyle (0-75f), S Ward (0-3f) O Caulfield;
C Rooney, K Lynch, B McGarvey (0-2)
Sub C O’Neill (0-2,1f) for C Rooney (h-time), D Marley for L McGranaghan (42), D Gildea for K Lynch (51) C Reid for C McMenamin (74), O Crawford for C Mulligan (82)
Antrim S Laverty; D McNicholl, C Donnelly; T McCormack, C Johnston, P Ferris; E Quinn (0-1) C Hand (0-1); C Higgins..T Shivers,
R McKillop (0-1); N Fallon (0-1), R McQuillan (0-9,3f) B Kelly
Subs C Johnson (0-2) for T Shivers (h-time),
C McGirr for C Hand (43), C McAleese for
B Kelly (47), N Duffy for R McKillop (58),
C Hand for Ferris (78), B Kelly for C McAleese (81), R McKillop for C Higgins
