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Derry ambushed in Ballybofey
22.07.09
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Donegal...2-13 C. McFadden 1-4 (1 free); M. Murphy 0-5 (2 frees); K. Cassidy 1-1; B. Monaghan 0-1; B. Roper 0-1; D. Walsh 0-1 Derry...0-18 J. Kielt 0-5 (3 frees); M. Lynch 0-3; E. Bradley 0-3(1 ’45); P. Bradley 0-2 (2 frees); B. McGoldrick 0-2 (1 free); G. McShane 0-1; C. McKaigue 0-1; G. O’Kane 0-1 by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at MacCumhaill Park WHAT A difference a week makes. Following a below par victory over lowly Clare, Donegal produced a stunning performance to beat Derry in extra time on Saturday night and set up a meeting with Galway in the last 12 of the All-Ireland Championship. Donegal held a 1-5 to 0-5 half-time lead, and led until the dying moments only for Derry to draw level at 0-14 to 1-11 to force extra time. Derry took the lead through Eoin Bradley 20 seconds into extra time, but Donegal responded immediately when Kevin Cassidy stroked a Michael Murphy knockdown to the back of the net. Donegal then spurned a number of chances before defender Gerard O’Kane, Derry’s best performer on the night, pointed from outside 50m. But Donegal replied again when Conal Dunne won a tired looking kick-out from Barry Gillis and fed substitute David Walsh for the Naomh Bríd player to give Donegal a 2-12 to 0-16 lead at half-time in extra time. |
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James Kielt landed two
frees on either side of a Michael Murphy point from play
in the second period of injury time as the floodlights
came on and the game careered towards a frantic
conclusion. Donegal crowded out their defence, but Enda
Lynn had one late chance for Derry. His shot from 20m
out in a central position went narrowly wide with Derry
supporters howling for a free kick. But referee David
Goldrick ignored the calls – correctly – and set off
wild scenes of celebration when he sounded the full time
whistle moments later. It was an amazing turn around for John Joe Doherty’s team. Seven days earlier, they struggled to overcome the rather feeble |
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challenge of Clare, and a
gloom enveloped everything as the team and its
supporters trudged from Mac Cumhaill Park. Seven days
before that, Donegal had also struggled to defeat
Carlow. But it was all change when Derry came to town and the scene was set for an epic ambush. From early on, it was clear that Donegal’s performance – which married work ethic and controlled aggression with composure and determination – was several notches above anything they’d shown in the championship to date. Much of the criticism levelled after each of the previous championship ties related to the apparent lack of game plan. This time around, Donegal had a clear game plan and stuck to it throughout. Karl Lacey did a masterful man-to-man marking job on Derry talisman Paddy Bradley. Frank McGlynn, Neil McGee and Barry Dunnion all took turns to mark Eoin Bradley and kept him relatively quiet. Other than the man-to-man marking on the Bradley boys, the Donegal defence employed a zonal system, where space rather than direct opponents were marked. The defensive unit was supported by midfielders Kevin Cassidy and Brendan Boyle, and half forwards Rory Kavanagh and Conal Dunne. Donegal regularly had ten men inside their own 45, denying space to the Derry forwards who had hit 3-16 against Monaghan a week earlier. But it was in attack that Donegal’s gameplan really paid off. Early ball into Michael Murphy and Colm McFadden led to a slew of scores as the Derry defence just couldn’t deal with the twin threat. Every ball that went into Murphy seemed to stick to him, so much so that Kevin McCloy (an All-Star in 2007) was substituted before half-time while Sean Marty Lockhart (an All-Star in 1998) fared no better. McFadden took his goal well and scored a couple of fantastic points. He missed some difficult chances in extra time, but never hid and was always prepared to take his shot. But Donegal had super performances everywhere on the field. Conal Dunne won a massive amount of breaking ball in the middle third and put in a tireless shift; at one time helping out in defence while at another supporting the attack. Kevin Cassidy took his goal expertly, and drove his team forward over the 90+ minutes. He was the pick of the players at centrefield, outshining illustrious Derry midfielders like Fergal Doherty, Patsy Bradley and Joe Diver. Barry Monaghan kept his defence organised, got forward to score a rare championship point, and made several vital interceptions. Eamon and Neil McGee were magnificent, while Rory Kavanagh covered every blade of grass and led by example throughout. Donegal were much the better team throughout, and took an early lead with a Michael Murphy point after two minutes. Derry opened their account with a point from James Kielt on the quarter hour and took the lead through Mark Lynch soon after. But Donegal’s response was immediate. Michael Murphy fielded a long ball in from Brendan Boyle and fed McFadden who finished smartly low to the bottom left corner. Points from Lynch and Kielt drew Derry level by the 25th minute, but McFadden hit a super effort off the outside of his left foot and Barry Monaghan had Donegal two points ahead on the half hour. Paddy Bradley responded with a point for Derry before McFadden scored yet another super point after another quick ball was played into him. Donegal got the final score of the half when Brian Roper pointed after a patient build up hand his side a 1-5 to 0-5 interval lead. Paddy Bradley’s last meaningful contribution came when he converted an easy free three minutes into the second half – the out of sorts Glenullin man was substituted on 50 minutes after taking a bang to the head. Two points from Michael Murphy and one from Kevin Cassidy had Donegal five points clear seven minutes into the second half, but Derry hit back with a point from substitute Gavin McShane. McFadden added to his tally with a super point mid way through the half. Leo McLoone shot tamely across the face of goal but McFadden caught it on the endline, twisted and turned away from his marker before pointing from a narrow angle to restore Donegal’s five point lead. Two frees from Barry McGoldrick and James Kielt drew Derry closer, but McFadden pointed to keep Donegal’s noses four clear. But Derry finished strongly in the final ten minutes of normal time. Points from McGoldrick and two from Eoin Bradley (one a 45, the other a super individual point after soloing the breadth of Mac Cumhaill Park) reduced the deficit to just a point. Murphy used his strength to win a free from Lockhart and converted it five minutes before the end, but Derry pointed through Mark Lynch and Chrissy McKaigue in injury time to send the game to extra time. Donegal looked tired at the end of normal time, but lifted by Kevin Cassidy’s goal, they found the energy reserves to go on and claim a famous win in extra time. It has been a topsy turvy season for Donegal. Defeat to Antrim in the Ulster Championship was followed by two poor, albeit winning, performances against Carlow and Clare. The dropping of Ciaran Bonner and Neil Gallagher for disciplinary breaches drew negative headlines and led the players to issue a blackout on the local media. Serious injuries to Christy Toye and Michael Maguire weakened John Joe Doherty’s hand still further. But somehow, the players rediscovered their form at just the right time and they are now among the final dozen in the hunt for Sam Maguire. After Saturday night, anything seems possible. Donegal: Michael Boyle; Frank McGlynn, Neil McGee, Karl Lacey; Barry Dunnion, Barry Monaghan, Eamon McGee; Brendan Boyle, Kevin Cassidy; Rory Kavanagh; Brian Roper, Leo McLoone; Conal Dunne, Michael Murphy, Colm McFadden. Subs: David Walsh for McLoone (59 mins); Michael Hegarty for Roper (63 mins); Johnny Gallagher for N. McGee (73 mins ET) Derry: Barry Gillis; Chrissy McKaigue, Kevin McCloy, Sean M Lockhart; Gerard O’Kane, Barry McGoldrick, Sean L McGoldrick; Fergal Doherty, Patsy Bradley; Joe Diver, James Kielt, Brian Mullan; Eoin Bradley, Paddy Bradley, Mark Lynch. Sub: Brian Óg McAlary for McCloy (34 mins); Gavin McShane for Diver (43 mins); Barry McGuigan for B. Mullan (43 mins); Enda Lynn for Paddy Bradley (50 mins); Seamus Bradley for McShane (78 mins ET) For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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