Donegal: Ulster Champions 2011 22.07.11
Ulster Senior Football Championship Final

Report: Inishowen Independent FOR only the sixth time ever, Donegal are Ulster champions. Sunday’s 1-11 to 0-8 victory over Derry in Clones, though, had the feeling of a beginning rather than an end. While there was a deep sense of satisfaction at the win, and thousands of supporters in the 28,264 crowd made their way onto the pitch to witness Michael Murphy raising the Anglo Celt cup aloft, Sunday felt like the start of something much bigger. As Jim McGuinness told the thousands assembled in Donegal Town at the home coming on Sunday night, we have won the League and the Ulster Championship and now there’s only one thing left to win. Donegal were good value for their win on Sunday. With the sides drawn at 0-5 apiece at half time, Michael Murphy netted a penalty four minutes into the second half and two points that Murphy laid off for Colm McFadden and Michael Hegarty had Donegal 1-7 to 0-5 clear by the 45th minute. Even then, it was hard to see how Derry would find a way back into the game, especially given that their marquee forwards – Enda Muldoon, Conleith Gilligan and Mark Lynch – were having a miserable day at the hands of a voracious Donegal defence.

Two James Kielt points brought the Derry supporters to their feet and the atmosphere in the stadium crackled alive, but Donegal calmly closed out the game, outscoring Derry by four points to one in the final quarter and surviving a penalty scare to land the Ulster Championship. Having beaten Antrim, Cavan and Tyrone along the way, Donegal became only the second team in 66 years to win the Ulster Championship from the preliminary round. And the Ulster title win has been built an impressive defence that has been much maligned in many quarters – Donegal conceded nine scores or less in each of their matches to date and the only goal in nearly 300 minutes of championship football came from a penalty rebound in Cavan when the contest was long over.

Colm McFadden and Michael Murphy top scored again on Sunday, but Donegal have had 11 different scorers in Ulster and scored 7-37 in four games as opposed to 1-32 conceded. Donegal drew first blood on Sunday when Colm McFadden opened the scoring in the fifth minute when he won and converted his own free kick. Charlie Kielt responded for Derry before Donegal applied the pressure and hit two points on the spin from Anthony Thompson and Michael Murphy. Murphy’s point was a real team effort. With Ryan Bradley winning a Durcan kickout and laying it off to Michael Hegarty whose diagonal ball in was broken by McFadden for the team captain to score. Donegal were doing well in midfield at this stage. Neil Gallagher, who started in place of the injured Kevin Rafferty, was winning a good share of ball and Paul Durcan was hitting a mixture of long and bullet-like shorter kick outs. Rory Kavanagh, who had been an injury doubt beforehand, was withdrawn before half time, and his replacement Martin McElhinney had his best game of the championship so far.

James Kielt hit an 18th minute free for Derry, but Donegal took charge again. A quick 20th minute free found Ryan Bradley and the Buncranaman took on a couple of defenders before scoring from the left. Donegal moved 0-5 to 0-2 clear a minute later with a well worked move where Hegarty hit a free into the danger area that Murphy broke to McFadden. The latter dinked a ball into Thompson and the defender got through for his second point of the afternoon. So far so good, but Derry dominated the remainder of the half. Centre back Charlie Kielt hit a tremendous point from distance on the right wing and Conleith Gilligan pointed a close range free. Martin Donaghey, whose introduction for the hapless Michael Bateson helped instigate that Derry revival, pointed on 31 minutes after Derry patiently worked the ball over and back the 45m line before a scoring chance presented itself.

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