GUTSY Donegal were beaten by Down in the Peadar O Liathain Cup (All-Ireland Minor ‘B’ Championship) quarter-final at Ballela on Saturday.
DOWN 2-17 DONEGAL 4-03
The visitors traveled buoyed by their county’s All-Ireland ‘C’ success the previous weekend, but Down proved much too strong on the day.
The Mournes led 2-8 to 1-2 at the break and, even by that early stage, it became a matter of how many they’d win by.
To Donegal’s credit, they battled gamely, but the damage was long since inflicted by the time Oisin Rooney hit two second-half goals.
With Cormac Coulter excellent on fress, Down took a foothold. Coulter was outstanding and hit nine points for the victors.
Down moved into a commanding position when Ronan Beattie blasted past James Monagle in the Tir Chonaill goal.
When Daithi Sands riffled another, the writing was on the wall for Donegal, although Sam Doherty managed to steer past Hugh Flynn to give his side some faint hope.
Early in the second half, Rooney applied the finish in a crowded goalmoth while the Ballyshannon forward netted his second late in the day.
In between times, Donegal defender Kevin Kealy found a way through to slam home.
However, Coulter had kept the scoreboard ticking and, with Beattie, Adam Doran, Phillip Miskimmon, Rhys Ward and Daire Magorrin on the mark it was Down who advanced into a semi-final meeting with Kerry.
DOWN: Hugh Flynn; Matthew Mee, Ciaran Monan, Niall Lennon; Oisin Duggan, Owen Coulter, James McParland; Jordan Doran, Declan McCartney; Aidan Doran, Peter Loughrane, R Beattie; Cormac Coulter, Jordan Murphy, Daithi Sands. Subs: Daire Magorrin for Loughrane (42), Phillip Miskimmon for Murphy (47), Rhys Ward for McParland (54).
DONEGAL: James Monagle; Kevin Bond, James Doherty, Caoimhin Lennon; Paddy Wilson, Oisin Rooney (2-0), Kevin Kealy (1-0); Conor O’Grady, Sam Doherty (1-0); Justin McBride, Aaron McCauley, Paddy Nelson (0-1); Cathal Doherty, Tom Clare (0-2, 2f), Jamie de Ward. Subs: Declan McCarron for Wilson (23), Stephen Gallagher for Kealy (53), Danny McCarron for de Ward (57).
REFEREE: Alan Nash (Derry).
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