THE ALL-COUNTY FOOTBALL LEAGUE swung into gear for 2016 over the weekend and there was plenty to talk about.
The results and reports came in Sunday evening after the first series of fixtures. Here’s what we learned.
1 Entertaining fare at Magheragallon and Gaoth Dobahir draw with St Eunan’s
With 28 county senior championships split evenly between them, there’s never much between Gaoth Dobhair and St Eunan’s and that was the case again yesterday at Magheragallon.
https://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=qa64mmG41jg
In the end, it was Gavin McBride’s 63rd minute penalty that scraped a 3-14 to 3-14 draw for the home side and of the two teams it was perhaps the visitors who would’ve been slightly the more disappointed with the share of the spoils having lost a four-point lead late on.
But it’s early days yet and with Gaoth Dobhair traditionally being the type of club who would try and play football and St Eunan’s not having a reputation for lockdown themselves, perhaps an open encounter would’ve been expected.
Conditions couldn’t have been much different to the hosts’ 1-8 to 0-9 win last May in an unyielding downpour. Aside an occasionally awkward wind, those in attendance were treated to as good as they might’ve expected for mid-March.
For Gaoth Dobhair, McBride – as well as netting the late penalty – showed his coming of age with a series of precise free-kicks in a personal haul of 1-7.
David McGinley, in his first game in charge of St Eunan’s, had two defenders in Peter Devine and Conor Parke wearing the wing-forward numbers but could be seen encouraging his players to burst forward instead of being laboured in their build-up.
While Maxi Curran’s St Eunan’s were very deliberate in possession, is McGinley trying to see his team cut loose more often?
2 Dungloe hit the ground running
Tony Boyle’s third year in his second tenure as manager of Dungloe got off to a fine start when they toppled last year’s Division 1 champions St Michael’s at Rosses Park on a 2-11 to 1-5 scoreline.
Although the Dunfanaghy-based team enjoyed their crown at their recent awards night having never won the top-flight before, they’d love a piece of championship silverware having never won the Dr Maguire before either and knocked on the door in recent seasons.
Therefore, it might be a more gradual approach being employed at the Bridge this year with Declan Bonner to join the management team.
The visitors were missing a string of regulars but for Dungloe, a winning mentality built-up in the Comortas Peile na Gaeltachta – where they enjoyed useful victories at home to Naomh Columba and away to Naomh Muire which means a semi-final place against holders Naomh Conaill in May – built up a winning mentality.
Dungloe are a team in transition of late with a lot of young players coming in and there’s progress to be seen.
3 Kilcar show their cutting edge
Martin McHugh was player-manager of Kilcar back in 1989 but Sunday at Gaelic Park saw his debut as sole manager in charge of his native club.
As in Gweedore, it was an entertaining contest but when it came to a shoot-out, Kilcar just had too many strings to their bow against newly-promoted Bundoran and ran-out 4-17 to 2-12 winners.
Patrick McBrearty was particularly impressive with 1-8 all in, while Ryan McHugh, Stephen McBrearty, Michael Hegarty, Mark McHugh, Conor Doherty and Eoin McHugh show the team have certainly got attacking prowess from technically good players.
McHugh won’t be overly upset with the concession of 2-12 on opening day but it will be defensively where Kilcar will be tested later in the year. Last year they conceded four goals against Naomh Conaill in the championship semi-final and this year they’re in an uncompromising Michael Murphy Sports Donegal SFC group that includes St Eunan’s, Killybegs and St Michael’s.
Bundoran can take positives from the loss but their fixture list has not been kind to them. Their next four outings are away to St Eunan’s, home to Glenswilly, away at St Michael’s before they welcome Naomh Conaill. The Seasiders have been given no chance to ease their way back into life in Division 1 with their first five games against arguably, the best five teams in the county.
But in winning the IFC and reaching the final of Ulster last season, Brian Gavigan’s players built up a winning mentality that took them to victory in the promotion-relegation play-off against Four Masters in December. Now, under Willie Gormley, they’ll be looking to get on the board as soon as possible.
4 Ardara get off to winning start
Since they won Division 1 one freezing cold night in Ballybofey in 2009, Ardara haven’t had much to shout about in the top-flight.
Traditionally slow-starters, the Kentucky side picked up something of a reputation for picking up points late in the season to preserve their proud record of having never been relegated.
Yesterday, although down a few, Glenswilly would’ve arrived at Pearse Park as favourites with Gary McDaid back on the management team and James Gallagher – the Donegal goalkeeping coach and former Finn Harps netminder – performing very well in goal.
But Seamus Gallagher’s Ardara persevered and unable to post a goal, were instead indebted to Brendan McNelis’s prowess from placed-balls. His fourth point proved to be the match-winner as Ardara came though 0-9 to 1-5.
Ardara probably don’t have the firepower that some of the other competitors in Division 1 have, so will need to keep it tight at the back – like they did yesterday – to get points.
Glenswilly are a side who’ve traditionally saved their best for championship but even in the league will be a different proposition as they get more familiar faces back on board.
5 Can you pick a winner in Division 2?
We did a poll here on Donegal Sport Hub last Friday asking people who they thought would win Division 1 and this week we’ll try something similar with Division 2.
It’s results with be interesting with a look at the relegated sides on the opening weekend perhaps to see if they’re trying to set a tone.
Malin have Terence Colhoun back on the line, the man who took them to the semi-finals of the 2013 Donegal SFC and are a team who will improve once the soccer season in Inishowen comes to a conclusion.
Yesterday, Malin got off to a winning start, while the other relegated side from last season, Four Masters, were beaten by Naomh Columba.
Aside that, there’s a few sides in this division who know their way about. This was emphasised in particular with Cloughaneely winning at a Milford side who’d opened the Comórtas with wins over Division 1 Gaoth Dobhair and Termon.
Glenfin were no match for Sean MacCumhaill’s and St Naul’s started off on the right foot against Naomh Muire.
6 Naomh Ultan show they can make the step-up
Last year’s Division 4 winners and JFC winners Naomh Ultan almost began life in Division 3 with a fine win against a Naomh Colmcille team that had reached the IFC final.
A late point from the Newtowncunningham team scrambled a 0-16 to 1-13 draw in a clash that was worth the admission free.
Gaeil Fhánada are also swimming deeper than they would wish to be and interestingly, last season they defeated Termon – now in Division 1 – in both Division 2 meetings.
With Seamus ‘Nanny’ Friel back from London, Fanad are well-equipped and will face competition from other sides who opened with a win over the weekend, Urris, Buncrana and Naomh Bríd.
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