Same old story for Donegal 03.06.10
Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship

Donegal...2-10 Down...1-15 (AET) by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at MacCumhaill Park DONEGAL will follow an all too familiar route when they enter the All-Ireland Qualifiers in four weeks' time. Extra time defeat to Down on Sunday sees John Joe Doherty’s team enter the first round Qualifier Draw on 20 June. Donegal led for most of the match, first half goals from Dermot Molloy and Conall Dunne giving them a comfortable lead the Down eventually whittled away. With time running out, Down’s Marty Clarke stroked over a 45 to give his side a 2-7 to 0-13 lead in the 69th minute. But Donegal showed great resolve to eke out an equaliser and send the game to extra time. Michael Murphy won the ball on the left, slipped it off to Michael Maguire who in turn found Rory Kavanagh and the St Eunan’s man blasted the equaliser high over the River Finn end bar.

But on an energy-sapping day, it was Down, and their talisman Benny Coulter, who dominated extra time and ran out two point winners. Coulter was too strong in the air for Karl Lacey early on, and Neil McGee did a good job on him when he took over the marking responsibilities in the first half, but it was Coulter’s switch with midfielder Dan Gordon midway through the second half that had a telling impact on the game. Coulter foraged and won a load of possession, and had the ability to hurt Donegal with scores of his own and telling passes to his teammates. Coulter got the first point of extra time when he got out in front of Maguire, and Daniel Hughes added a second for Down as Donegal failed to score in the first period of extra time, although Barry Dunnion had seen a deflected shot come off the upright with Down keeper Brendan McVeigh beaten. Substitute Mark McHugh and a free from Colm McFadden brought Donegal level three minutes into the second period of extra time, but Down struck for the winning goal soon after. Donegal won a Down kickout after David Walsh had shot wide, but Neil Gallagher was dispossessed and Coulter, Marty Clarke and Daniel Hughes broke menacingly down the field with Coulter getting on the end of the move and rounding Paul Durcan to get what proved to be the winning score.

Four minutes of normal time remained and Donegal had chances to win it. Eoin Waide pointed from the right wing, McVeigh plucked a shot from Kavanagh from above the crossbar and Adrian Hanlon hit another poor wide and Down held on to win. Donegal, though, have only themselves to blame. In addition to 17 wides, their over elaboration in the middle third saw them turn over possession and Down punished five times over. Throughout the game they failed to move the ball quickly enough into full forwards Murphy and Molloy, instead they moved the ball over and back outside the 45 allowing Down to filter 12 defenders behind the ball and Donegal just could not punch a hole in the blanket defence.
	It had all started so well for Donegal. Karl Lacey and Conall Dunne combined to set up Dermot Molloy for the opening point on seven minutes, and the 19 year old Glenties forward’s dream debut continued when Michael Murphy released him to slam left footed past Brendan McVeigh in the 12th minute as Donegal took a 1-1 to 0-0 lead. Down responded with three points on the trot from Coulter, John Clarke and Mark Poland, but Donegal hit their second goal on 18 minutes. Molloy picked up a pass from Murphy on the left but his shot hit the upright, falling kindly to Conall Dunne who calmly
beat McVeigh from close range to take a 2-1 to 0-3 lead. But Donegal lost their way after that, Clarke and Hughes added points before Paul Durcan was called on to make a point blank save off Coulter ten minutes before half time and Martin Clarke missed the resulting 45. Two further frees from the right from Molloy and points from Mark Poland and the excellent Daniel Hughes saw Donegal hold a 2-3 to 0-7 half time lead. Michael Murphy got his only score of the game, a pointed free five minutes into the second half, but Down responded through a Mark Poland free as the game became very scrappy. Substitute Adrian Hanlon pointed shortly after his reduction but three successive points from Hughes, Marty Clarke and Coulter brought them level at 2-5 to 0-11 by the 59th minute. David Walsh punched Donegal one point clear, but two frees from Coulter and Marty Clarke had Down ahead as the game entered injury time. Clarke’s point coming from a 45 after Durcan had pulled off a great reflex save from a Dan Gordon punch. With time running out, Kavanagh showed great composure to strike the equaliser three minutes into injury time, but ultimately, the day belonged to Down. DOWN: Brendan McVeigh; Brendan McArdle, James Colgan, Damian Rafferty; Kevin McKernan, Declan Rooney, Conor Garvey; Daniel Hughes (0-4), Dan Gordon; Kalum King, Mark Poland (0-3, 2 frees); Paul McComiskey; Benny Coulter (1-4), John Clarke (0-1), Marty Clarke (0-3, 1 ’45). Subs: Conor Maginn for J Clarke (47 mins), Peter Fitzpatrick for P McCumiskey (54 mins), Darren O’Hagan for K McKernan (63 mins), Conor Laverty for M Poland (79 mins), Ronan Murtagh for C Garvey (85 mins). DONEGAL: Paul Durcan; Frank McGlynn, Neil McGee, Karl Lacey; Michael Maguire, Barry Monaghan, Barry Dunnion; Rory Kavanagh (0-1), Neil Gallagher; David Walsh (0-1), Christy Toye, Kevin Cassidy; Dermot Molloy (1-3, 2 frees), Michael Murphy (0-1 free), Conall Dunne (1-0). Subs: Adrian Hanlon (0-1) for Toye (43 mins), Anthony Thompson for B Monaghan (53 mins), Mark McHugh (0-1) for N Gallagher (62 mins), Colm McFadden (0-1 free) for D Molloy (67 mins), Neil Gallagher for C Dunne (70 mins), Paddy McGrath for F McGlynn (78 mins), Eoin Wade (0-1) for M Maguire (82 mins). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent.

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