HOLDERS Donegal fell to defeat to Sligo in their opening game in the North-West Under-21 Cup at O’Donnell Park today.
Donegal 2-7 Sligo 2-13
Declan Bonner’s team, minus a number of regulars, were gunned down by Sligo, who had goals from Paul Kilcone and Kyle Cawley, whose late three-pointer put a gloss on the scoreline.
Naomh Colmcille’s Daniel Clarke, playing competitively in the Donegal shirt for the first time, netted a 24th minute goal to bring Donegal back on level terms after Sligo began brightly.
Kilcoyne’s goal on 12 minutes had fired Sligo in front and the Yeats men were 1-3 to 0-1 ahead midway through the half.
Gavin McBride’s point in the first minute had started the Donegal ball rolling, but it ground to a halt until Lorcan Connor drilled over on 20 minutes.
Clarke fired in from close range after Connor laid on a pass across goal.
Connor himself struck gold in the 28th minute and Donegal led by two, 2-4 to 1-5, at the break.
Paddy O’Connor struck four first-half frees and, after Donegal squandered a series of chances, O’Connor nailed another two beauties to bring Sligo onto an even keel.
Another by O’Connor, in the 44th minute, put Sligo in front with a raft of changes on the Donegal side having been made at that stage – including the withdrawal of the injured Stephen McBrearty, who’d just been put on at half-time.
Sub Darragh Black added a brace of points, one of either foot, kept Donegal in check, but the on-song O’Connor was almost single-handedly ticking the scoreboard for the visitors.
O’Connor ended with nine points aside his name and Cawley’s late goal sealed the deal.
Donegal: Danny Rodgers; Danny Monagle, Gary McFadden, Daniel Gallagher; Niall Friel (0-1), Tony McClenaghan, Daire Ó Baoill; Michael Lynch, Daniel Clarke (1-0); Christian Bonner, Conor Doherty (0-1), Ciaran Diver; Adam Neely, Gavin McBride (0-1), Lorcan Connor (1-1). Subs: Niall O’Donnell (0-1) for Neely, Stephen McBrearty for Diver, Eoghan Ban Gallagher for Ó Baoill, Michael Langan for Lynch, Caolan McGonigle for Clarke (all half-time), Stephen McMenamin for McFadden (37), Ciaran Gibbons for Friel (39), Shane Graham for Rodgers (41), Ethan O’Donnell for Bonner (41), Darragh Black (0-2) for McBrearty (42), Brendan McCole for McClenaghan (43), John Campbell for McBride, Ciaran McGeady for Monagle (both 46).
Sligo: Daniel Cafferkey; Nathan Mullen, Luke Nicholson, Michael Gordon; Darragh Cummins, Paul McNamara (0-1), Sean Power (0-1); Paul Kilcoyne (1-0), Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch; Stephen Connolly, Paddy O’Connor (0-9, 8f), Michael Clarke; Jason Perry, Joe McHugh, Kyle Cawley (1-0). Subs: Dillon Kilgallon for Perry (37), Darragh Kilcoyne (0-1) for McHugh (41), Darragh O’Brien for Connolly (50), Liam Gaughan (0-1) for Clarke (50).
Referee: Dan Mullan (Derry).
