Sligo 0-08 Donegal 0-08
With both sides unbeaten after the opening rounds, it seemed something had to give. Ultimately, despite the fact that Sligo led by two points with six minutes to go, a draw was the clichéd fair result.
Ballymote pitch was in remarkably good order given the weather we’ve endured, but the rain during the game added to already difficult handling conditions.
The decent-sized crowd that turned up were treated to a tight and physical battle of wills rather than a free-scoring loose affair.
Much of the game was played in the middle third where challenges were plentiful and uncompromising. Donegal had the upper hand in the first half as they broke quickly following turnovers, capitalising on some long kicking by the home side on an evening more suited to tighter play.
Donegal flooded out from the back, but pressure from a well-organised Sligo defence kept easy chances to a minimum. Time and again their dangerous inside line were pushed out.
While Benny Cassidy, Paul McGonigle and Michael ‘Sticky’ Ward all punished Sligo from frees, Paul McGonigle took a fine point from play. Paul Taylor registered Sligo’s opener with a great score from play, and his free meant Sligo were 0-04 to 0-02 down after 22 minutes.
Former Sligo Rovers and Finn Harps star Johnny Kenny threatened at all times, and his point from play allied with another Taylor free saw them keep with last year’s Masters Shield winners going in at 0-04 apiece at the break.
The second half saw no let-up in intensity; it actually increased. Every ball was contested fiercely. Adrian McColgan’s introduction to Donegal’s half-back line brought great pace to proceedings and an early break by him deserved a score. Donegal added another Paul McGonagle free before Benny Cassidy wriggled free to score a fine individual score from play to balance out two Paul Taylor frees.
Unfortunately, Paul Taylor injured his quad in scoring a 40 metre free, and his free-taking and general play was a loss to the home side, especially as they were starting to enjoy a purple patch in possession terms. Michael Moyles picked off two fine scores from the left, one following a sweeping move seeing him fed by Kenny.
Sligo then squandered a few chances to forge further ahead. Donegal never dropped their heads however, and they continued to take it to Sligo. The Sligo rear-guard dealt admirably with most attacks, before a well-worked Ger McGenra point after a ’45 brought it back to the minimum. In added time, Donegal’s Paul Gallagher found space on the right and his pace saw him drive toward the Sligo goal before offloading to Benny Cassidy.
For a brief moment a match-winning goal threatened but a challenge saw a 20 m free awarded that Cassidy tapped over. From the kick-out referee John Griffin blew the full-time whistle.
The game was a huge advert for the passion and dedication these players have for their counties and the competition itself. Donegal organised themselves to be ready for throw-in at 7.20 pm on a Wednesday night. Both sides threw themselves head-long in to a battle where conditions mitigated against a high-scoring affair.
Afterwards both sides joined for a photograph and shared tea and sandwiches in the dressing rooms. Credit too to the Ballymote club for having the pitch in such good order at a time when so many pitches are closed.
Val Murray and his Donegal charges will feel they should have got more from their first-half possession while Sligo will rue the number of chances they had when two up to put the game to bed.
Next up for both sides are tricky encounters: Donegal host last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists Cavan; Sligo host Galway, a team who won three-in- a-row from 2012 on.
Sligo: Gerry Dooner; Damien Kelly, Declan Cawley, Mark Boland; Morgan McCormack, David Durkin, David Killoran; Con O’Meara, Eamonn O’Hara; Paraic Doohan, Paul Taylor (0-5, 5f), Johnny Kenny (0-1); Dermot Browne, Fergal Kelly, Nigel Clancy. Subs used: Michael Moyles (0-2), Christy Walsh, Blair Foley, Terry Farrelly.
Donegal: Martin Gillespie; Charlie Doherty, Eamonn Doherty, John A. McMullan; Kerry Ryan, Sean McDaid, Michael McShane; David McShane, Charlie Gallagher; Paul McGonigle (0-2,1f), Gerard McGrenra (0-1), Stephen McGonigle; Benny Cassidy (0-4,3f), Brian McLaughlin, Michael Ward (0-1, f). Subs used: Adrian McColgan, Charlie Bonner, Paul Gallagher.
Tags: