By Charlie Collins
Donegal 1-20 v 2-06 Cork
Donegal made an impressive start to their 2024 league campaign with this eleven point victory over Cork at MacCumhaill Park. Leading by six at half-time they played excellent football against the elements in the second to run out easy winners.
Just a week short of thirteen years after he first took charge of Donegal in a National League game at MacCumhaill Park for the first time, Jim McGuinness was back at it helm for this opening fixture in 2024 against Cork. On February 5th 2011 it took goals from a Michael Murphy penalty and Neil McGee plus a late point from Stephen Griffen to salvage a draw against Sligo after Donegal had trailed by eight points in the Division Two clash. Donegal would go on to not only gain promotion to Division One after that shaky start, but also to take their first Ulster Senior Championship title since 1992, a gap of nineteen years. A repeat of those two achievements in 2024 would be greatly welcomed by the team’s many supporters but many big challenges will need to be overcome for those things to happen.
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness during Sunday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Donegal suffered a blow before the throw-in with the withdrawal of Oisín Gallen from the starting line-up, the experienced Daire O Baoill taking his place, in another pre-match change Domhnall McBride replaced Oisín Caulfield in midfield.
It was obvious before throw-in that the conditions would play a big part in this game with a strong wind the dominant feature and added too by heavy showers blowing across pitch at regular intervals.
Donegal played with the elements in their favour in the first-half and started well with points from Jamie Brennan, a Patrick McBrearty free and a fine effort from Odhran Doherty. McBrearty added another free and Donegal led by 0-04 points after ten minutes.
Donegal’s Patrick McBrearty turns for goal during Sunday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Cork were struggling to get anything going forward but after Brian Hurley had missed an easy free they hit back with a Eoghan McSweeney goal set up by Ruairi Deane and a Brian O Driscoll point levelled the game up after fifteen minutes, 0-04 to 1-01.
Two excellent points from play from Odhran Doherty and one from Ciaran Thompson had Donegal three ahead again. Brian O Driscoll with his second and Ryan McHugh with a super score off his left foot exchanged points and then another cracker from Peadar Mogan put Donegal four ahead again.
Donegal’s Peadar Mogan on the attack during Sunday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Chris Og Jones replied for Cork but three excellent points from play by Daire O Baoill, Brendan McCole and Shane O Donnell left Donegal six ahead at half-time 0-12 to 1-03 – but would a six point lead be enough in the conditions?
Donegal’s Brendan McCole under pressure from Cork’s Brian Hurley during Sunday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Patrick McBrearty’s free and a brillant Daire O Baoill point from way out near the sideline gave Donegal a good start to the second-half and a eight point lead, 0-14 to 1-03 and the rain at its heaviest. Gavin Mulreany pointed a close range free to make it nine but Donegal conceded a soft goal to Chris Og Jones when lost possession out the pitch and when Jones added a good point there was just five in it, 0-15 to 2-04.
Donegal hit back with two McBrearty frees and a Domhnall McBride point from play and after sub Mark Cronin had pointed for Cork , Patrick McBrearty finished off a fast break from their own half with an excellent goal to put the game beyond Cork, 1-18 to 2-05.
Caolan McGonagle and McBrearty added further Donegal points to a Steven Sherlock free as it finished 1-20 to 2-06 to Donegal and an impressive start to their league campaign in 2024.
Donegal’s Ciarán Thompson looks for options during Sunday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Donegal: Gavin Mulreany (0-01), Mark Curran, Brendan McCole (0-01), Kevin McGettigan, Ryan McHugh (0-01), Caolan McGonagle (0-01), Ciaran Moore, Ciaran Thompson (0-01), Domhnall McBride (0-01), Peadar Mogan (0-01), Odhran Doherty (0-03), Shane O Donnell (0-01), Patrick McBrearty (1-06), Daire O Baoill (0-02), Jamie Brennan (0-01). Subs: Eoghan Ban Gallagher for McGettigan (23mins), Oisín Caulfield and Jeaic Mac Ceallabhui for O Donnell and Doherty (56mins), Luke McGlynn for Brennan (60mins) Aaron Doherty for O Baoill (65mins).
Cork: Patrick Doyle, Maurice Shanley, Tommy Walsh, Sean Meehan, Luke Fahy, Rory Maguire, Matty Taylor, Ian Maguire, Colm O Callaghan, Eoghan McSweeney (1-00), David Buckley, Brian O Driscoll (0-02), Ruairi Deane, Brian Hurley, Chris Og Jones (1-02). Subs: Darragh Cashman for Shanley (40mins), Mark Cronin (0-01) for Buckley (43mins), Steven Sherlock 0-01 for Hurley (55mins), Fionn Herlihy for Deane (60mins), Daniel O Mahoney for McSweeney (65mins).
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).
