Following their success in the Jim McGuigan Cup the Donegal Minor squad became their championship campaign with this meeting with neighbours Fermanagh at MacCumhaill Park.
The visitors began their campaign last Saturday against Monaghan in Brewster Park and suffered a big defeat, so on recent form Donegal were strongly favoured to win this one .
By Charlie Collins at MacCumhaill Park
However the visitors made them work very hard as an under par Donegal struggled to find their best form and were happy to take the win with five points to spare when far from their best.
Shane Callaghan, Conor McCahill, Luke Clerkin and Gavin Doherty scored early points for Donegal while Mattie McDermott’s free was Fermanagh’s only reply. Luke
McAnespy added a second point for the visitors but Donegal quickly tagged on four more, two more from Doherty , and one each from Callaghan and the excellent Clerkin to lead by 0-08 to 0-02 .
But they failed to score again in the first -half and when Dara Cathcart hammered home a goal and McDermott added a super point there was only two between them at half-time , 0-08 to 1-03.
Luke Clerkin from play and two frees from Shane Callaghan extended the lead to five but back again came Fermanagh with four of the next five points, two McDermott’s frees and excellent scores from play by Michael Burns and full-back Conor Mulligan to Dylan Mulholland’s free for Donegal left just two in it once again and anyone’s game with ten minutes to go.
But it was Donegal who finished the stronger and a point from play by Mulholland and two frees from Callaghan , to bring his total to six , saw them through to victory but a hard earned one against determined opponents.
Donegal will be in action again on Sunday away to Down in Newry and will be looking for an much improved performance.
Donegal : Padraig McBride, Donal Gallagher, Jordi Gribben, Callum McCrea, Finbarr Roarty , Darragh Bennigan, Luke Clerkin (0-03), Oisin Scanlan, Lorcan McGee, Jack Hegarty, Shane Callaghan ( 0-06 /4f’s) , John James Sweeney, Dylan Mulholland (0-02), Conor McCahill (0-01), Gavin Doherty ( 0-03).Subs used ; Eoin Gallagher , Jack Gallagher , Philip Doherty, Shane Ellison .
Fermanagh : Calvin Brown, Matthew Maguire , Conor Mulligan (0-01), Caelan Jones , Luke McAnespy (0-01), , Oisin Swift, Lachlann King, Dara Cathcart (1-00), Ben Warnock , Barry Goodwin , Darragh Flanagan, Oisin Donahue , Michael Burns (0-01), Daire Chapman , Mattie McDermott ( 0-04/3f’s). Subs used ; Dan O Conner, Kian Prior , Michael Keenan.
