For a time here, there was a real fear that Longford might have sneaked through but Donegal did enough to book a place in Monday morning’s Round 3A qualifier draw.
Donegal 0-12 Longford 0-7
They gave Donegal an almighty fright until the home side finally came to the fore on an evening characterised by wides.
There were 33 of them in all, 17 for Longford and 16 for Donegal.
Frank McGlynn and Jason McGee close out the threat of Longford’s John Keegan during Saturday’s qualifier. Photo Evan Logan
Longford will surely be kicking themselves as they head for home and Donegal are certainly a relieved bunch as they take to the next round of the qualifiers.
Just when the whistling nerves were threatening to become howls, Donegal shook their heads clear to see off the 14-man Midlanders, who had James McGivney sent off in the 49th minute.
McGivney saw a second yellow and a red for a foul on Eoin McHugh, making a long walk made earlier by half-forward colleagues Daniel Mimnagh and Darren Gallagher, who were both blck carded.
Three points in a three-minute spell, from Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan and Eoin Hugh, from the 56 to 58th minutes managed to steer Donegal out of the quicksand.
Brennan polished off the move of the match after Karl Lacey and Michael Murphy had combined, the Bundoran man sweeping over to remove the weight from the shoulders.
A McBrearty free, his fourth point of the game, put four between them and the Kilcar man did likewise after Robbie Smyth brought Longford within a goal again. Michael Murphy’s free, with the last kick of the game, gave Donegal a five-point margin their display wouldn’t have merited.
Two weeks ago, Donegal’s provincial hopes were torn asunder by Tyrone in Clones. A nine-point loss, on a day when Tyrone scorched home – and the evidence here was that the aftershock had not yet simmered.
Longford arrived in Ballybofey with a few notable scalps upon their sword. On the day Donegal infamously lost to Armagh in a qualifier that ended John Joe Doherty’s reign in 2010, Longford knocked Mayo from the All-Ireland race.
The Midlanders have defeated Derry three times, Monaghan twice and Down, meaning Donegal could go into this one with more than a hint of apprehension.
A 2-15 to 1-10 win over Louth brought Longford to the north-west after they’d made a disappointing exit from the Leinster Championship following a 4-15 to 0-16 loss to Laois.
In the opening 20 minutes alone, Donegal kicked seven wides and their play suggested that the hangover of their loss to Tyrone hadn’t lifted.
Frees by Smyth and David McGivney sandwiched a long-range effort by Michael Murphy, had Longford with the edge by that stage.
A second McGivney free put them two in front and the Midlanders could and should have been in for a goal in the 23rd minute. James McGivney’s delivery seemed perfect for Smyth, who found himself in space with only Mark Anthony McGinley, the Donegal ‘keeper, behind him. But Smyth didn’t fetch and the chance – a glorious one – was gone.
Patrick McBrearty, who hadn’t had much joy beforehand, swept over from 40 metres for the game’s first point from play in the next attack.
McGivney stretched the lead with another free before substitute Martin McElhinney briefly reduced the arrears.
The game was a repeat of a 2003 qualifier, also in Ballybofey, that Brian McEniff’s won 1-17 to 1-11, resurrecting a challenge that would ultimately end in an All-Ireland semi-final.
Donegal: Mark Anthony McGinley; Paddy McGrath, Neil McGee, Caolan Ward; Eoin McHugh (0-1), Ryan McHugh, Eoin Ban Gallagher; Michael Murphy (0-2, 2f), Jason McGee; Michael Carroll, Frank McGlynn, Michael Langan; Ciaran Thompson, Patrick McBrearty (0-5, 4f), Martin O’Reilly. Subs: Martin McElhinney (0-2) for Carroll (28), Hugh McFadden for J.McGee (49), Jamie Brennan (0-1) for O’Reilly (53), Mark McHugh for McGlynn (55), Karl Lacey for Langan (56), Paul Brennan for Gallagher (65).
Longford: Paddy Collum; Diarmuid Masterson (0-1), Padraig McCormack, Barry Gilleran; Donal McElligot, Michael Quinn, Dessie Reynolds; John Keegan, David McGivney (0-3, 3f); Daniel Mimnagh, James McGivney, Darren Gallagher; Robbie Smyth (0-3, 3f), Liam Connerton, Barry McKeon. Subs: Conor Berry for Mimnagh (black card, 26), Larry Moran for Gallagher (black card, 41), Andrew Farrell for McKeon (65), Ronan McIntyre for D.McGivney (65), Joe Kelly for Connerton (70).
Referee: Padraig Hughes (Armagh).
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