Donegal defeated Antrim 3-19 to 1-9 on Sunday to advance into the Ulster SFC semi-finals with ease – here are five talking points from the game.
1 Donegal’s young guns shine
It was very much a new-look Donegal on Sunday.
Five players made their Ulster SFC debuts from the start and another came off the bench for his Championship bow. Donegal’s starting team had a total of seven players beginning a Championship game for the first time.
For most of them, though, it was a fine outing.
Jamie Brennan bagged a debut goal and the displays will have encouraged Gallagher going forward.
Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Brennan and Ciaran Thompson are central pieces in the jigsaw now, Caolan Ward is making a place his own and Jason McGee goes from strength-to-strength, with Michael Carroll and Cian Mulligan gaining valuable experience.
Michael Langan showed no nerves, either, slamming over two beauties after coming on as a sub.
2 Murphy leads the way again
At this stage, big displays from Michael Murphy are just expected. Even against opposition that won’t be shaking the summer, though, there was something about the Donegal captain’s display on Sunday that really gives with it a sense of a team going places.
Picture caption: Michael Murphy holds off the attentions of Antrim’s Brendan Bradley during Sunday’s game. Picture by Evan Logan
Murphy scored six points, but that doesn’t tell the full take. The Donegal skipper was even saving points, at one stage rising to fetch a free by CJ McGourty that was floating over the Donegal crossbar.
Murphy is at home now at midfield and the way he dictated his side’s play on Sunday means he’s unlikely to change his role any time soon.
The caveat of Antrim not really asking questions does have to be added but, nevertheless, it was still a brilliant display by Murphy.
He lorded his tussle with Sean McVeigh and raised the decibels for the only time with a stunning point from play in the second half.
Murphy is enjoying his longest injury-free spell in some time and it is not an exaggeration to suggest that the Glenswilly man is in the shape of his life.
[adrotate group=”91″]3 An expected ending as Donegal cruise
The reality is that Donegal were always going to win Sunday’s game. As Michael Murphy observed at the pre-match press conference, Antrim’s win over Donegal in 2009 shouldn’t have been seen as the shock it was given where the two counties were at then.
Now, though, Donegal are in touching distance of the top rung and Antrim have fallen back to Division 4.
Donegal eased to win, scoring 3-19 which was the county’s second highest ever score in Championship football and their biggest since 1966.
“The reality is that we fully expected to win,” Rory Gallagher said afterwards.
“We are operating out of Division One, Antrim were relegated to Division Four. We expected to win, we have very talented footballers and that is why we operate in that division. When you score 3-19, it was fairly comfortable.”
4 Antrim open Donegal for goal chances
The one worry from Sunday was the volume of times that Antrim got in behind.
The Saffrons were in for two goal chances in the first half, before Jamie Brennan’s goal sent Donegal on their way.
CJ McGouty had a sniff of goal, but shot wide of Mark Anthony McGinley’s goal and Matt Fitzpatrick had a similar result when he prodded off target after doing well to collect a Conor Hamill ball in. Fitzpatrick’s shot trickled just past the post and it was a big warning shot.
Within a minute, though, Brennan was lashing home and Donegal were on the victory road.
Still, late in the game, Conor Small managed to steal in for an Antrim goal and it is one area where Donegal will want to tighten up.
5 Donegal 70 minutes from a final – but bigger tests await
On June 18, Donegal will face Derry or Tyrone in the Ulster semi-final. Derry and Tyrone meet on Sunday in Celtic Park with the prize on offer a meeting with Donegal.
It will be a significant step up, whoever wins, though the likely scenario appears for a repeat of last year’s Ulster final against Tyrone.
Donegal have been in the last six Ulster finals and are now 70 minutes away from Ulster final Sunday again.
Getting over the line unscathed was the primary aim from Sunday. They did that, but the bigger exams will come in time.
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