DONEGAL’S up and coming young talent put on a powerful second half display to see off the students of St Mary’s in the Dr McKenna Cup.
There were senior debuts for Eoin McHugh and John O’Malley as Jim McGuinness continued his search for new stars for the All-Ireland winning squad in front of a spark crowd in Ballybofey.
And O’Malley pointed on his debut, with Odhran MacNiallas grabbing a goal in the early stages of the first half.
Just as the Donegal lads began to pull away, St Mary’s were awarded a penalty for a foul in the box which Brendan Herron netted.
And it was the students who went in at the break ahead, leading 2-05 to to 1-07, a point to the good, with a second goal from Ronan Sexton.
It was point for point in the second half with the teams square at one stage.
MacNiallas was withdrawn but Donegal started to pull away in the final quarter, hitting five points in a row to lead 1-12 to 2-07.
But the students weren’t finished and hit back again, squaring the game.
St Mary’s had several attempts at goal when they should have taken their points – and had a penalty claim dismissed before they went a point into the lead.
Ross Wherrity pointed for Donegal with five minutes to go before Conor Gibbons hit a great score to put the home side ahead in the game 1-14 to 2-10.
The scoreboard had it as a draw….but for once it was wrong!
Scorers for Donegal: O MacNiallais (1-3), J O’Malley (0-4, 3f), L Keaney (0-2), C Gibbons (0-2, 1f), P Mailey, S McGarvey, R Wherity (0-1)
St Mary’s scorers: B Herron (1-5, 2f), R Sexton (1-2, 1f), B Hasson, L Doyle, S O’Neill (0-1)
DONEGAL: P Boyle; P Carr, C Ward, A O’Gara; E McHugh, K McFadden, Cannon; L Keaney, C Cannon; P Mailey, J Carroll, M Cannon; O MacNiallais, R Wherity, J O’Malley. SUBS: C Gibbons for M Cannon (29), S McGarvey for Carroll (half-time), W Gillespie for MacNiallais (50), J Campbell for P Carr (66)
ST MARY’S: D McAnenly; S Mullan, A Maguire, M Murray; R Loughan, C O’Hara, B Doyle, R O’Callaghan, B Hasson; R Sexton, B Herron, N Sludden; D McKinless, S O’Neill, J Duffy. SUBS C McMahon for Duffy (48), B o’Hagan and A McGarrity for Sexton and O’Callaghan (58), R McFarland for Doyle (33).
Referee: D Connolly (Monaghan)
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