Main pic: Donegal’s Caolan McGonagle on the attack against Dublin in MacCumhaill Park. Photo Evan Logan.
Donegal staved off a second-half Dublin fightback to win by four and maintain Jim McGuinness’ unbeaten run at MacCumhaill Park in front of 12,560 spectators.
DONEGAL 0-20
DUBLIN 0-16
McGuinness has never lost a league or championship game in Ballybofey as Donegal senior manager and the Dubs still have not won in the north west the Dubs in 15 years.
Donegal fans’ disappointment at not witnessing the second coming of Michael Murphy was short-lived as Oisín Gallen, Michael Langan and Patrick McBrearty stepped up to the plate.
Man of the Match Daire Ó Baoill kicked the first ever two-pointer scored by a Donegal player when he fired over in the 25th minute.
Ó Baoill’s was the fifth score in a row by a Donegal player with the Gaoth Dobhair man adding another two-pointer before half-time.
Shane O’Donnell, the player of the year in the 2024 Donegal SFC, opened the scoring with a fine effort into the River End in the second minute.
Langan, who captained Donegal just two weeks after the death of his uncle, Don – a GAA stalwart for whom there was a minute’s silence beforehand – took a neat lay-off by Ryan McHugh to double the lead.
Killian McGinnis and two by Colm Basquel momentarily put Dublin in front. The Dubs were scoreless for the next 17 minutes as Donegal, spurred by Ó Baoill, took charge.
Seán Bugler ended the wait for a Dublin score while Shaun Patton thwarted the advances of Tom Lahiff, the Donegal ‘keeper making a fine close-range stop in the 28th minute.
Dublin manager Dessie Farrell made three substitutes in the first half with Conor and Niall Scully both thrown on as they looked to reduce their arrears.
Conor O’Donnell and Ó Baoill ensured that Donegal had a healthy 0-11 to 0-6 lead at the break.
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness during Saturday’s game. Photo Evan Logan
Due to the effects of Storm Éowyn, Donegal’s planned opener in Killarney against Kerry was shelved last weekend so the Ulster champions were something of an unknown.
Farrell, now in his sixth year as Dublin manager and undergoing something of a transformation, has close ties to Donegal. His mother, Anne Carr, hails from Crove in south-west Donegal.
While Farrell’s men hit back with three-in-a-row at the outset of the second half, Shane O’Donnell settled the hosts’ nerves.
With subs Luke Breathnach and Niall Scully as well as Basquel on the mark, Dublin three times in the second half narrowed the margin to one, but Donegal didn’t buckle.
Donegal gave a League debut to teenager Finnbarr Roarty in defence and the Naomh Conaill man looked assured. McGuinness still has some of his heavy artillery to return to the jersey.
Murphy, the Donegal captain when they won an All-Ireland in 2012, has done a retirement u-turn and will add to his 177 games for the county this spring as he returns to bolster McGuinness’s cache of weapons.
Ballybofey man Gallen, on familiar home sod, Peadar Mogan, Langan and McBrearty, who was sprung from the bench, steadied any sense of the Donegal vessel looking unsteady as they restored a three-point advantage.
With the wind by the Finn picking up, McBrearty, twice, and Gallen raised the volume again.
Scorers for Donegal: Daire O Baoill 0-6 (2x2pt), Oisín Gallen 0-3 (1f), Patrick McBrearty 0-3 (2f), Michael Langan 0-2, Conor O’Donnell (0-1), Shane O’Donnell 0-2, Michael Langan 0-2, Ciarán Thompson 0-1f, Peadar Mogan 0-1
Scorers for Dublin: Ciaran Kilkenny 0-3 (1 2pt), Colm Basquel 0-3, Killian McGinnis 0-2, Greg McEneaney 0-2, Luke Breathnach 0-2, Seán Bugler 0-2, Niall Scully 0-1, Sean Lowry 0-1
DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Ciaran Moore; Michael Langan, Ciaran Thompson; Daire O Baoill, Conor O’Donnell (0-1), Shane O’Donnell; Hugh McFadden, Oisin Gallen, Caolan McGonagle. Subs: Jamie Brennan for McFadden (50), Patrick McBrearty for C.O’Donnell (50), Eoin McHugh for R.McHugh (61) Odhran Doherty for S.O’Donnell (61), Mark Curran for Gallagher (64).
DUBLIN: Gavin Sheridan; David Byrne, Theo Clancy, Sean MacMahon; Brian Howard, Cian Murphy, Greg McEneaney; James Madden, Killian McGinnis; Kevin Lahiff, Sean Bugler, Ciaran Kilkenny; Colm Basquel, Eoghan O’Donnell, Brian O”Leary. Subs: Tom Lahiff for K Lahiff (25), Conor Tyrell for Byrne (29), Niall Scully for Madden (29), Luke Breathnach for Basquel (43), Sean Lowry for O’Donnell (64).
REFEREE: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).
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