A FRESH-FACED Donegal put on a decent show to overcome Sligo comfortably in a 13-a-side challenge match at Coláiste Ailigh in Letterkenny.
Donegal 1-18 Sligo 0-9
The side managed by Rory Gallagher saw Michael Langan score seven points – six from placed balls, while Jamie Brennan was impressive in the first half in scoring 1-3, while Kieran Gillespie and Cian Mulligan acquitted themselves well, as did substitute Ciaran Thompson. Former Leitrim footballer Paul Brennan made his Donegal debut.
Photo caption: Donegal’s Michael Langan in action for his side in this afternoon’s challenge match against Sligo at Coláiste Ailigh in Letterkenny. Photo: Geraldine Diver
All in all, Gallagher can be content enough with the run-out, a contest in which Darach O’Connor lined out in the county colours for the first time since July 2015 following a cruciate injury.
[adrotate group=”53″]O’Connor didn’t make it onto the scoresheet – he hit the upright with an attempt at a point in the first half and saw Sligo substitute goalkeeper Fintan Ruddy save his shot at goal late in the contest.
Eoghan Ban Gallagher scored a fine early point and when Langan added three frees, Donegal had hit the ground running in going 0-4 to 0-0 ahead.
The Donegal panel before this afternoon’s challenge match against Sligo at Coláiste Ailigh in Letterkenny. Photo: Brian McGeehin
Sligo were to score the next three points, two of which came from Cathal Henry. The visitors were almost level when Keelan Cauley was allowed to run right at the heart of the Donegal defence and James Hynes’ lay-off to Cathal Brennan ended up rattling Mark Anthony McGinley’s crossbar.
But it was Donegal who would finish the half stronger. Jamie Brennan, in particular, was hitting the higher gears. His goal came on 24 minutes with a well-taken shot into Aidan Devaney’s bottom corner following approach player from Langan, O’Connor and Gillespie.
Donegal were 1-10 to 0-3 in front at half-time, with Jamie Brennan having scored 1-3 in 16 minutes.
Sligo made five substitutions at the interval and were forced to make a sixth just four minutes into the second half when Cian Lally’s brief cameo concluded when he was taken from the field injured.
Cloughaneely’s Jason McGee, who had played well in the first half, was taken off with a knock and replaced by Thompson.
[adrotate group=”88″]The vast amount of changes meant the second half took a little while longer to find its shape. However, Donegal continued on the front foot with Langan and Thompson doing the bulk of the scoring.
Sligo’s Cathal Brennan would end the day with six points but Donegal manager Gallagher – who will take his side to his native Fermanagh next Saturday for another challenge – can be content with the afternoon’s work.
“It was nice to get the run-out here at Coláiste Ailigh,” he said. “It’s a great facility here – both inside and outside of the school itself – and one that we have benefited from using recently. You can see today, in the middle of December, that there’s an excellent playing surface. We’d like to thank Mickey Gibbons and everyone here and hopefully they enjoyed the game.”
[adrotate group=”46″]Donegal: Mark Anthony McGinley (St Michael’s); Conor Morrison (St Eunan’s), Eoghan ‘Ban’ Gallagher (Killybegs, 0-1); Paul Brennan (Bundoran), Caolan Ward (St Eunan’s), Kieran Gillespie (Gaoth Dobhair); Jason McGee (Cloughaneely, 0-1), Michael Langan (St Michael’s 0-7, 5fs, 1’45’); Christy Fildara (Malin, 0-1), Cian Mulligan (Gaoth Dobhair, 0-1), Michael Carroll (Gaoth Dobhair, 0-1); Darach O’Connor (Buncrana), Jamie Brennan (Bundoran, 1-3). Subs: Ciaran Thompson (Naomh Conaill, 0-3, 2fs) for McGee (Half-time), Ethan O’Donnell (Naomh Conaill) and Eamonn McGrath (Aodh Ruadh) for Mulligan and Gillespie (40), Brendan McCole (St Naul’s) for Morrison (41), Mark McHugh (Kilcar) for McLaughlin (47), Peter Boyle (Aodh Ruadh) for McGinley (49), Caolan McGonagle (Buncrana) for Carroll (51).
Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Peter Laffey, Eoin McHugh; Keelan Cawley. James Clarke, Enda Connolly; Stephen Gilmartin, James Hynes; Criostoir Davey, Padraic Clarke, Brian Egan (0-1); Cathal Henry (0-3), Cathal Brennan (0-6, 3fs). Subs: Fintan Ruddy, Sean Power, Sean Gorman, Declan McCormack, Cian Lally for Devaney, McHugh, Connolly, Hynes and Egan (half-time), James Hynes for Lally (33).
Referee: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh).
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