Donegal take on Down this afterrnoon in Sean MacCumhaill Park in their opening game of the 2016 Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup.
Full-time: Donegal 1-11 Down 0-11
59 mins: Murphy booms over a point and O’Hanlon responds with a free. Donegal ahead 1-10 to 0-9
54 mins: Dornan points for Down as the biggest cheer of the day greets Michael Murphy’s introduction. His 100th appearance. Donegal are 1-9 to 0-8 in front now after Dornan pointed for Down.
51 mins: Beautiful curling Mac Niallais point puts Donegal 1-9 to 0-7 ahead.
51 mins: Beautiful curling Mac Niallais point puts Donegal 1-9 to 0-7 ahead.
48 mins: Corner backs Ryan Boyle and Paddy McGrath swap points. Donegal lead 1-8 to 0-7
47 mins: Jack O’Brien, another new comer, cracks off the crossbar and the follow up from Mac Niallais is blocked by a defender.
46 mins: Caolan Ward, back in the squad having played McKenna Cup in 2013, fires over for a four-point lead. 1-7 to 0-6
44 mins: Ciaran Thompson drills a point, his third of his debut, off the outside of the left boot. 1-6 to 0-6
42 mins: Darragh O’Hanlon pops over a free and it’s down to a two-point game. 1-5 to 0-6
40 mins: Hugh McFadden finds the range with a booming effort and it’s a three-point game again. 1-5 to 0-5
39 mins: Martin O’Reilly fires over a free and Donegal lead by two. 1-4 to 0-5
36 mins: Gareth Johnston notches up his second point of the game and brings Down to within a point. 1-3 to 0-5
36 mins: We’re underway with the second half in Ballybofey and there are no changes in personnel.
Half-time: Donegal 1-3 Down 0-4
29 mins: Martin O’Reilly converts a free after Michael Carroll is fouled by Darragh O’Hanlon. 1-3 to 0-4.
24 mins: The margin is down to a point now as Ryan Mallon fires over a brilliant score from the stand side. 1-2 to 0-4
21 mins: Arthur McConville converts a free for Down. Donegal still lead 1-2 to 0-3.
16 mins: Gareth Johnston pulls a point back for Down, who trail by a goal. 1-2 to 0-2.
15 mins: Superb Donegal move deserved a goal there, but Eoghan Ban Gallagher – another of the new comers – shoots wide after a clever palm-down by Leo McLoone.
13 mins: Neat point, again by Thompson, who has been lively so far, puts Donegal four up. 1-2 to 0-1
8 mins: Ciaran Thompson marks his first appearance with a point. Lovely pass by MacNiallais feeds Leo McLoone and he sets up his Naomh Conaill colleague for a score. 1-1 to 0-1.
3 mins: Cathal Doyle pops over a point for Down after Joe Murphy cuts through the middle. 1-0 to 0-1
68 seconds: GOAL for Donegal by Frank McGlynn. Wonderful finish after taking receipt of Odhran MacNiallais’ pass. 1-0 to 0-0
Danny Rodgers actually starts in goal, not Mark Anthony McGinley.
Eamon McGee has been added to the Donegal panel and will start among the substitutes.
Frank McGlynn leads Donegal out today as the captain.
Also among the replacements for Donegal is St Eunan’s Cillian Morrison, who played for Derry City in the 2015 SSE Airtricity League Premier Division. Morrison was on the Donegal Under-21 panel in 2010 and came back from soccer commitments to line out for St Eunan’s in the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship.
Included among the Donegal substitutes is captain Michael Murphy who will play his 100th game for Donegal if he comes on.
There are six debutants named on the Donegal team with Mark Anthony McGinley, Jack O’Brien, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Ciaran Thompson, Michael Carroll and Stephen McBrearty all selected for their first senior appearances in the county shirt.
It’s a first game for Down manager Eamonn Burns, who has given debuts to Cathal Doyle, Joe McDermott, Joe Murphy and Gareth Johnston.
Donegal: Mark Anthony McGinley; Jack O’Brien, Éamonn Doherty, Paddy McGrath; Martin O’Reilly, Caolan Ward, Eoghan Ban Gallagher; Hugh McFadden, Ciaran Thompson; Michael Carroll, Frank McGlynn, Stephen McBrearty; Odhrán Mac Niallais, Leo McLoone, Eoin McHugh.
Subs: Danny Rodgers, Stephen McMenamin, Tony McClenaghan, Kieran Gillespie, Neil McGee, Michael Murphy, Martin McElhinney, Cillian Morrison.
Down: Stephen Kane; Malachy McGee, Conaill McGovern, Ryan Boyle; Ryan Mallon, Aidan Carr, Darragh O’Hanlon; Peter Turley, Cathal Doyle; Joe McDermott, Caolan Mooney, Joe Murphy; Gareth Johnston, Arthur McConville, Sean Dornan.
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