Donegal call the tune in first setback for Moran and Mayo
Donegal's Oisín Gallen scoring one of his six points as Mayo’s Donnacha McHugh attempts a block during last Sunday's National Football League Division 1 encounter at O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny. Picture: INPHO/Lorcan Doherty
Goats don’t shave, it’s true. And nor is Las Vegas or casinos or gold to be found in them there hills. Or two points. Not this time at least.
A third spin of the National League’s roulette wheel saw Mayo’s winning streak unceremoniously ended, with the piper who had belted out Donegal’s unofficial anthem before throw-in getting a better tune out of his chanter and bellows than Andy Moran did from his side on Sunday.
The team who effectively ended Kevin McStay’s reign as Mayo manager last year served Moran his first competitive defeat as McStay’s replacement, as Donegal recorded a thoroughly comprehensive eight points victory in Letterkenny.
The biggest attendance for a game in O’Donnell Park since the 1950s – the game was a 8,900 sell-out and the stand declared full some 90 minutes before throw-in – watched Jim McGuinness’ team ease to a third straight Division 1 win, with the scoreline not really flattering them. Yes, Mayo failed to convert a raft of second-half goal chances but having played with the breeze in the first-half yet ending it 0-11 to 0-5 behind, their job of work thereafter was just too great.
It’s worth pointing out that Donegal did field exceptionally strong for this game, with McGuinness selecting twelve of the team that also started last summer’s one point championship victory over Mayo, who in contrast started eight. Of the three other Donegal players, Ciaran Thompson and goalkeeper Shaun Patton are recovering from injuries while local icon Michael Murphy was the first man sprung from the bench on Sunday.
At the time of his arrival, in the 47th minute, Donegal were already 1-15 to 0-8 ahead. A third point of the game by Leaving Certificate student Conor McCahill then stretched out the home side’s lead to eleven and at that stage it was a case of damage limitation for the visitors.
Donegal’s hunger for the victory had been massively evident from the get-go, with newcomer McCahill registering their opening two points on what was the Four Masters teen’s senior debut. In fact, the Tir Chonaill outfit led 0-7 to 0-2 before Jordan Flynn kicked Mayo’s first point from play in the 25th minute and by half-time, Oisin Gallen had already struck five points for the hosts, including three from play, as Donegal took a six points advantage to the dressing-room – which was the least they deserved.
The angled runs of the Donegal attackers, Shane O’Donnell, Conor O’Donnell and Oisin Gallen in particular, allied with piercing raids from deep by the likes of Finnbarr Roarty, Peadar Mogan and Ryan McHugh, saw the home side raise eleven flags against the breeze to Mayo’s four with it, with the latter’s opening score in the 16th minute being a two-point free by Ryan O’Donoghue for a push on James Carr.
Their only other first-half points were by Bob Tuohy and Sam Callinan, one apiece, and the aforementioned by Flynn.
After a difficult 28 minutes for Carr at full-forward, the Ardagh man was called ashore in favour of Conor Loftus whose return to Mayo colours for the first time in almost two years was the big positive on the day for the visitors. The Crossmolina man brought with him a huge drive and along with an early second-half point, he forced a good save from Donegal goalkeeper Gavin Mulreany while also helping to set up numerous other scoring opportunities for the Green and Red who, to be fair, did improve considerably after half-time. You can expect to see Loftus start against Monaghan next Sunday where Mayo will hope to steady the ship against the division’s basement team.
Last Sunday also saw Fenton Kelly, Donnacha McHugh and Diarmuid O’Connor handed their first league starts of the season and together with Aidan O’Shea they replaced Paddy Durcan, Stephen Coen, David McBrien and Fergal Boland from the team that had started the previous round’s win against Dublin.
Durcan and Boland were both back on the pitch for the start of the second-half in Letterkenny however, in place of McHugh and O’Connor who still appear to be chasing full fitness. And there’s no doubt that the substitutions did help to bring greater energy to Mayo’s performance.
Conor Loftus was linkman in a move also involving Jack Carney and Fenton Kelly that saw him draw a save from Mulreany only 60 seconds after the restart. Kelly then gave the assist for Darragh Beirne to fire over the opening point of the half, with Loftus adding to that in the 39th minute after his direct run at the Donegal defence.
Beirne kicked a second point having almost reduced Mayo’s arrears to the minimum when dribbling through only for his side-foot effort on goal to be blocked by Mulreany. The Donegal stopper also thwarted Ryan O’Donoghue’s low drive in the 45th minute and yet somehow, despite Mayo looking a team transformed in these early stages, the game completely ran away from them in a seven minute window; Ryan McHugh’s two pointer and singles by Oisin Gallen, his sixth in total, Finnbarr Roarty and Conor McCahill were buttressed by a palmed goal from centre-forward Conor O’Donnell, with corner-back Peadar Mogan causing all the damage down the left wing.
Mayo never stopped trying and points by O’Donoghue, Callinan, who continues to add a greater scoring threat to his game, and Enda Hession preceded yet another Mayo goal chance, but Mulreany atoned for his error from a kickout to once again deny Darragh Beirne.
A pair of Conor O’Donnell points were negated by Flynn and Boland before O’Donoghue, marked tightly throughout by Roarty, lofted over his only point from play, with seven minutes left. But it was also Mayo’s last score, as the final point belonged to Ciarán Moore – the player whose last gasp point had broken Mayo hearts last summer.
O’Donoghue did have the ball in the back of the Donegal net in the final minute but the goal was disallowed because of an unfortunate double hop by Conor Loftus in the build-up.
The defeat has seen Roscommon move alongside Mayo in joint second in the Division 1 table, both sitting two points behind league leaders Donegal after the Rossies impressive win against Armagh. They visit Galway next Saturday in a Connacht derby while for Andy Moran, it’s a return to Clones where he spent last year as Monaghan coach.
That insider knowledge may prove useful.
Scorers – Donegal: Conor O’Donnell 1-0-4, Oisin Gallen 0-0-6 (2f), Ryan McHugh 0-1-1, Conor McCahill 0-0-3, Finnbarr Roarty 0-0-2, Ciaran Moore 0-0-1.
Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-1-2 (1tpf, 1f), Sam Callinan, Jordan Flynn and Darragh Beirne 0-0-2 each, Bob Tuohy, Conor Loftus, Fergal Boland and Enda Hession 0-0-1 each.
Donegal: Gavin Mulreany; Eoghan Bán Gallagher, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Finnbarr Roarty; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan; Shane O’Donnell, Conor O’Donnell, Ciarán Moore; Conor McCahill, Jason McGee, Oisin Gallen. Subs: Michael Murphy (for Gallen 47), Turlough Carr (for Gallagher 55), Domhnall Ó Gallachoir (for McGee 59), Shea Malone and Pól Ó Hare (for McCahill and McHugh 65).
Mayo: Rob Hennelly; Jack Coyne, Rory Brickenden, Enda Hession; Sam Callinan, Donnacha McHugh, Fenton Kelly; Bob Tuohy, Diarmuid O’Connor; Jack Carney, Ryan O’Donoghue, Jordan Flynn; Darragh Beirne, James Carr, Aidan O’Shea. Subs: Conor Loftus (for Carr 28), Paddy Durcan and Fergal Boland (for McHugh and O’Connor ht), Diarmuid Duffy (for O’Shea 52), Seamus Howard (for Kelly 58).
REF: Sean Hurson (Tyrone)
