IT WAS ANOTHER busy week in the AllsportStore.com All-County Football League with plenty to talk about.
Here’s a few things that caught our attention:
Gaoth Dobhair just keep on winning
TWELVE OF Gaoth Dobair’s starting XV against Termon on Sunday have worn Donegal shirts at either minor, under-21 or senior level. Jamie Reynolds, Chris McFadden and Ciarán Ferry were the exceptions.
Even at that, it should be noted that Brian McIver had McFadden on the fringes of his squad, but the player went to Australia without making an appearance.
Conal Sheridan could still bring Donegal three-time All-Star Neil McGee and Naoise Ó Baoill off his bench in the second half as they sped through the gears against Termon.
Managers often use the tired cliché of their team having a blend of youth and experience, but in Gaoth Dobhair’s case it rings true.
With the rejuvenated Kevin Cassidy, the classy Odhrán Mac Niallais, the style of Micheál Carroll and the steel of the McGees, they’re a side well worth keeping the eyes on. CMcN
[adrotate group=”55″]St Michael’s rely on their Toye story
ST MICHAEL’S will have to plan without Lee Carr and Peter Witherow for the summer months with both players on their way to the United States and are in the toughest of all the four groups in the senior championship alongside Kilcar, St Eunan’s and Killybegs.
On Sunday, the Dunfanaghy-based side were missing a stack of players, with only Christy Toye and Mark Anthony McGinley featuring from their county contingent as there was no Colm McFadden and Martin McElhinney was watching on from the sidelines.
But just like some sides having slipped from the top bracket in recent years, St Michael’s now firmly find themselves in the top four or five teams in the county with the likes of Michael, Ryan and Oisin Langan all providing some backdrop to the experts of Toye, who at 33 was a comfortable winner of the man of the match award in their three-point win in Ardara. AF
[adrotate group=”67″]Bundoran sees bad fortune come their way again
How many teams manage to score six points in an All-County Football League fixture and still find themselves with nothing in return.
On Sunday, in a rather crazy fixture at Gaelic Park, St Eunan’s escaped with a two-point, 4-15 to 6-7 victory over a Bundoran side who were level as injury time started.
However, two late points – with Patrick McGowan and Kieran Sharkey on the mark – sealed the victory for David McGinley’s side, who have tried to be more expansive this turn.
The loss was an unfortunate one for Bundoran, especially considering they’d almost the points in the bag from their previous outing in the league, when they visited Glenswilly only to be pipped late in the day as well.
[adrotate group=”67″]Kilcar’s firepower is there for all to see
KILCAR WENT to Rosses Park without Patrick McBrearty, Michael Hegarty and Ryan McHugh in their starting line-up, but still managed to post 3-15 against Dungloe.
Kilcar, whose manager Martin McHugh was also absent as he was on commentary duty at the Derry-Tyrone Ulster SFC game at Celtic Park, finished strongly to win 3-15 to 2-10.
McBrearty is their talisman, but in his absence, his younger brother Stephen stepped up with 1-5 and Ciaran McGinley notched 1-3.
There remain question marks about their true depth, but this wasn’t a bad way to start answering them. CMcN
[adrotate group=”45″]Glenswilly look to be in bother
GLENSWILLY have – by and large – been a side who’ve not lit up the All-County Football League in recent seasons. Even after winning county championships the side from Foxhall were always in sticky positions domestically – like in 2013 when they reached the Ulster club final operating from Division 2 in Donegal.
On Sunday, though, there was another another defeat that would’ve given Michael Canning and Gary McDaid plenty to ponder. Glenswilly were level at 0-3 to 0-3 at one stage in Glenties in the first half but then completely stopped in their tracks.
Without hitting so much as a point from then on, it was Naomh Conaill who ran out 4-8 to 0-3 winners. It means that Glenswilly have won just once this season in league and championship.
[adrotate group=”56″]It’s tight at the bottom. Very tight
SOMETIMES all of the focus centres on matters at the top end of the standings, but as Edward Molloy was keen to point out on Sunday evening the real battle in Division 1 could be in the race to avoid the drop.
Four clubs – Bundoran, Dungloe, Ardara and Glenswilly – are locked in the bottom position on four points and the scoring difference doesn’t offer much by the way of breathing space, either.
Ardara clubman and former Donegal County Board official Molloy says: “The bottom four teams are all on two points, they have similar scoring records with Bundoran, Dungloe and Ardara at -42 and Glenswilly at -41 in the points difference. Close or what?” CMcN
[adrotate group=”37″]Lightening strikes twice at Connolly Park
SEVEN DAYS after his penalty save from Martin O’Reilly helped Malin over the line for a SFC win over Sean MacCumhaills, goalkeeper Darragh McLaughlin repeated his trick on Sunday.
Malin had three points to spare in a 2-10 to 0-13 win over Glenfin at Connolly Park.
And, again, a McLaughlin penalty save was key to the victory. This time, McLaughlin beat away a penalty from Paddy O’Connor after Daniel McGlynn had been fouled. CMcN
[adrotate group=”38″]Jigger returns – a boost to club and county
BUNCRANA had made a useful start to 2016 in taking seven points from their first six Division 3 games and drawing their IFC opener against Naomh Columba last weekend.
They did all of that minus their star turn, but on Sunday they welcomed Darach O’Connor back into competitive action.
The diminutive forward was out of action since rupturing a cruciate late last year, but in their narrow 0-7 to 0-6 win over Burt at The Scarvey, O’Connor came on as a second-half substitute.
His return certainly gives Robert Farren’s team a big boost for the remainder of the year and hearing the news will have surely quickened the step of Donegal manager Rory Gallagher too. CMcN
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