Donegal were toasting a 0-20 to 0-13 win over Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park on Saturday – here we examine some of the talking points.
After losing to Dublin last weekend, Donegal had to win to keep their semi-final hopes alive – and they did just that.
Michael Murphy was lord and master, scoring nine points on a day when Eoghan Ban Gallagher was added to the casualty list. Gallagher left the action in the first half due to an arm injury that looks set to prevent his participation in Sunday-week’s big game against Tyrone.
1. Shaun Patton delivers again with clean sheet
Seven days after Dublin shut down his kick-outs and beat him with two goals, netted by Niall Scully, Shaun Patton was in excellent form in Roscommon.
The Letterkenny goalkeeper, in his first full season as a Gaelic footballer lest it be forgotten, made two brilliant saves, one in each half, to beat away shots from Brian Stack and a brave stop right at the start of the second half helped to keep the sheet clean.
Patton’s saves weren’t just instinctive stops; they were the hallmark of a superb shot-stopper. It takes something special to beat the former Sligo Rovers goalkeeper these days.
They came at vital moments, too. Seconds after his 27th minute save from Stack, Michael Murphy put Donegal three points clear – a vital turnaround.
Patton’s kick-outs were close-to flawless in Dr Hyde Park and helped set Donegal off time and time again.
2. Eoghan Ban injury means loss of another in-form man
Eoghan Ban Gallagher had been a player in All-Star form this summer.
The Killybegs man’s defensive durability and a razor-sharp attacking mind that yielded a goal against Fermanagh in the Ulster final make for a package that is hard to replicate.
Donegal will have to find a replacement, however, for the final Super 8 showdown with Tyrone on Sunday-week.
Gallagher, who’d had treatment on an injury against Dublin the previous week, went down under a heavy blow midway through the first half in Roscommon. Clearly in distress, Gallagher was replaced by Neil McGee in the 19th minute.
An arm injury was assessed early in the week, but Gallagher will miss the joust with Tyrone and, allied to Patrick McBrearty, robs Declan Bonner of two of his real in-form players.
3. It was Murphy’s Law for Roscommon
When Michael Murphy trotted into the Donegal full-forward line around the 20th minute on Saturday, there was dread from Roscommon and anticipation from their visitors.
Murphy scored a trio of points in rapid succession as Donegal, led by their captain, took charge of things.
Murphy began in the Donegal midfield and, once again, operated as a quarter-back of sorts, before being sent inside.
Murphy wrecked havoc and ended the evening with nine points.
Over his 140 games for Donegal, you will struggle to pick out many better displays from the Glenswilly man.
Murphy said in an interview this week that his sole aim is to be ‘effective’ for Donegal. To refer to his display on Saturday as merely ‘effective’ would do all kinds of disservice. With the captain in this form, Donegal will fear no-one.
4. Roscommon offer little resistance
They did, to be fair, come armed with a tighter approach after being hammered out Croke Park’s gates by Tyrone, but Roscommon, truth be told, are out of their depth at this stage.
They burst from the traps like a side affronted by an 18-point loss the previous week, but it would have little reward.
Roscommon threatened Shaun Patton’s goal a couple of times but, once Donegal got the head of steam, the result was never in doubt, even allowing for the fact that Declan Bonner’s team didn’t press their feet fully when they could have opened the margins even wider.
Kevin McStay, or whoever is in situ next year, still has quite the gap to bridge.
5. Now, then, for Tyrone
The very thoughts of it breaks out the goosebumps: Donegal v Tyrone in Ballybofey with an All-Ireland semi-final place up for grabs.
On Sunday-week, Sean MacCumhaill Park will be heaving at its seams when the Red Hands roll into town.
The final game of the ‘Super 8’ series see Tyrone come to Ballybofey to play for the right to advance to the last four.
Donegal haven’t lost in Ballybofey in League or Championship since 2010 and Tyrone haven’t won a Championship game by the Finn since 1973.
Throw in the recent needles and niggles between the pair and the stage is set for a blockbuster.
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