Donegal beat Fermanagh despite sending-off

By Sinéad McGlynn

Despite playing with 14-men for the entire second half Donegal went on to claim a seven-point victory over Fermanagh at Maccumhail Park, Ballybofey.

There were two points between the sides at the break as a Fermanagh fightback led an exciting finish to the first half.

Indeed, the home side were reduced to 14 men in the closing stages after Neil McGee was shown a straight red for a strike on Ruairí Corrigan during the incident that led to a penalty for the Erne men.

When the action resumed, Mark Anthony McGinley, making his debut between the posts for the hosts, ably denied Sean Quigley’s effort with a fine stoppage.

Donegal had taken an early two-point lead after scores from Patrick McBrearty and Frank McGlynn but the visitors responded well with a Tomás Corrigan free and a brilliant effort from Barry Mulrone.

Rory Gallagher’s men then scored 1-01 on the bounce as Martin O’Reilly split the posts before Odhran MacNiallais grabbed the first goal of the game, on 13 minutes.

Quigley and Eoin McHugh then swapped scores before another McBrearty effort sailed over.

The latter then saw a goal chance superbly blocked by Fermanagh ‘keeper Chris Snow and it, in turn, spurred on his Erne colleagues further out the field as they began to eat away at Donegal’s lead.

Another Corrigan pointed free and an excellent long-range score from Captain Eoin Donnelly saw the gap reduced to three.

With three minutes to go to the break, MacNiallais found range as Donegal ended a 13-minute scoreless spell.

Two more Corrigan frees left it a two-point game at the short whistle as in spite of an action packed end to the half the scoreline would remain 1-06 to 0-07.

From the restart, Corrigan drew the visiting side back within a point as he tapped over his fifth free of the day.

Yet that would be as good as it got as despite their numerical advantage Fermanagh ultimately failed to push on.

The uncharacteristically quiet Michael Murphy then responded with his first point of the day from a 43rd minute free.

With the next score MacNiallais grabbed his, and Donegal’s, second major of the game after good build-up playing involving McGlynn, Martin McElhinney and Martin O’Reilly.

O’Reilly, McBrearty and McElhinney followed up with the next points of the game as they opened up an eight-point gap.

Fermanagh battled back with another Corrigan free and a point from Ryan Jones but the latter’s effort came in spite of the lure of a goal chance.

Corrigan and Eoin McHugh were on target for with the next scores for their respective sides as time ticked on. Donegal veteran Colm McFadden claiming the last score of the game, late in time added on, put gloss on a victory which sees Donegal advance to a semi-final meeting with last year’s Champions Monaghan.