DONEGAL 1-22 DERRY 1-19
Donegal staged a dramatic revival, overturning an eight-point deficit, to defeat Derry and return to winning ways at Fr Tierney Park.
Jim McGuinness’s side scored 1-6 in a pulsating last ten minutes in front of 6,830.
Shane O’Donnell’s goal, in the 64th minute, was the real spur for Donegal as they continued an unbeaten sequence at the venue stretching back to 2009.
O’Donnell played a give-and-go with Michael Murphy and the St Eunan’s man thumped to the net, reducing Donegal’s arrears to three, 1-16 to 1-19.
Conor O’Donnell, twice, Ciaran Thompson, Ciaran Moore and Man of the Match Daire Ó Baoill all scored in the closing period.
Conor Glass netted for Derry in the 43rd minute and the Sperrins looked to be well on their way to a badly needed win as they led by eight, 1-19 to 0-15, on the hour.
The game was played on what would’ve been the 77th birthday of legendary musician Rory Gallagher, born just yards from Fr Tierney Park in the Rock Hospital in 1948. If there was any hint of Shadow Play – given that a Championship game between the teams is on the horizon – that went out the window when Donegal trailing by four points, sent for Murphy at half-time.
Seven minutes from the end, O’Donnell raised the roof with the Donegal goal and Derry, who were Division 1 champions in 2024, now look in real trouble at the foot of the table.
It was some turnaround by Donegal, who seemed as if they were going to run out of time.
Glass struck gold eight minutes into the second half. Conor Doherty and Ethan Doherty were both involved before Glass slipped low past Shaun Patton to put the visitors 1-13 to 0-11 ahead.
In the 54th minute, Conor Doherty had curled over to open up a seven-point lead, 1-17 to 0-13. Doherty and his brother Mark, who was introduced as a second-half substitute, have strong Donegal blood as their father, Neil, hails from Derriscleigh, Glen.
A couple of Shane McGuigan frees came either end of a rousing score by Ó Baoill that suggested that Donegal wouldn’t relinquish a proud record on Erneside – and so it proved.
The game was preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of, among others, Owen Roe O’Neill, the president of the host Aodh Ruadh club and a former publican and GAA figure of note who passed away on Saturday.
Lachlan Murray might have put Derry ahead in the eighth minute. Anton Tohill’s inviting pass split the Donegal defence and Murray drew a fine save out of Donegal goalkeeper Shaun Patton. As the ball took a ricochet back off Murray, Mark Curran was forced to claw off the goal line.
Conor Glass opened the Derry account four minutes later and the Oak Leaf were almost instantly level when Murray arched over.
After Oisin Gallen clipped an equaliser for Donegal – who opened with scores by Ryan McHugh and Ó Baoill – Derry swiftly hit the front again as Murray fisted his second of the day.
Donegal briefly led again when Shane O’Donnell and Ciaran Thompson found their range, but Murray boomed over a delightful two-pointer to tip the scales back in Derry’s favour.
In just five weeks’ time, these sides will joust in the preliminary round of the 2025 Ulster SFC at Sean MacCumhaill Park. Perhaps the April 6 clash was in mind when Donegal opted to head on down the N15 through Barnesmore Gap for what was a first Division 1 contest between the north west rivals in 10 years – that being a 1-15 to 0-12 win for Donegal in the first League outing of the managerial term of another Rory Gallagher.
Eoin McEvoy and McGuigan opened up a three-point lead, 0-8 to 0-5, for Derry by the 27th minute.
While Ó Baoill and Hugh McFadden – along with McHugh a survivor from the 2015 League meeting – kept Donegal ticking, Derry finished the half well.
Niall Loughlin, making his first start since returning from a groin injury, registered a tidy point and, with the final kick of the half, McGuigan brilliantly converted a two-point free from beyond the chalk of the ’45.
McGuigan’s kick put Derry 0-11 to 0-7 in front as the teams headed down the tunnel again.
Thompson, Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher and Niall O’Donnell were all restored to the Donegal team as McGuinness made four changes to the side that began the 0-21 to 0-14 defeat in Galway seven days earlier.
Derry came to Ballyshannon as the only team in Division One yet to taste victory having lost to Tyrone, Kerry and Dublin and drawn with Galway. “We need the points,” Tally said beforehand. “We really do need the points at this stage.” Tally predicted that there would be a “kick” from his teams as they headed to south Donegal.
Derry stretched their lead via Ethan Doherty and Paul Cassidy, but a massive two-point free off the boot of Ciaran Thompson, from out on the right-hand side, stirred the home side.
Donegal hadn’t lost here since Dublin scored a 0-13 to 1-8 win in 2009 and Murphy was summonsed at the interval. The also-returned Odhran McFadden-Ferry was introduced at the break for his first game in the county colours since 2022 and Caolan McColgan saw his first inter-county action of the year having been involved in Naomh Padraig’s run to the All-Ireland Club JFC final.
Oisin Gallen booted over a two-pointer but, just when Donegal were within striking distance again, Glass netted.
Either side of the Derry goal, Jamie Brennan had chances to net for the hosts.
Murphy played the part of the provider each time but Brennan rolled wide with his first opening and Odhran Lynch thwarted the Bundoran man’s next go, saving with his legs.
A pair of McGuigan frees helped Derry open the margin to eight points, but a monster two-pointer by Ó Baoill kept the Donegal hopes alive with 13 minutes left on the clock.
Conor O’Donnell, fed by Odhrán Doherty in the 63rd minute, fired across the goal and wide in the 63rd minute, but Shane O’Donnell riffled past Lynch a minute later to set up a grandstand finale.
Scorers for Donegal: Ciaran Thompson 0-6 (1 2pt, 1 2ptf), Daire Ó Baoill 0-5 (1 2pt), Shane O’Donnell 1-1, Oisin Gallen 0-3 (1 2pt), Conor O’Donnell 0-3, Hugh McFadden, Ryan McHugh, Michael Murphy (f), Ciaran Moore 0-1 each
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 0-6 (1 2ptf, 4f), Lachlan Murray 0-6 (1 2pt), Conor Glass 1-1, Paul Cassidy 0-2, Eoin McEvoy, Niall Loughlin, Ethan Doherty, Conor Doherty, 0-1 each.
DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Mark Curran, Brendan McCole, Eoghan Ban Gallagher; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Ciaran Moore; Ciaran Thompson, Hugh McFadden; Shane O’Donnell, Niall O’Donnell, Daire Ó Baoill; Conor O’Donnell, Oisin Gallen, Jamie Brennan. Subs: Michael Murphy for N O’Donnell, Odhran McFadden-Ferry for Curran (both half-time), Caolan McColgan for Brennan (50), Eoin McHugh for McFadden (59), Odhran Doherty for R.McHugh (59).
DERRY: Odhran Lynch; Diarmuid Baker, Eoin McEvoy, Martin Bradley; Conor Doherty, Brendan Rogers, Padraig McGrogan; Conor Glass, Anton Tohill; Dan Higgins, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty; Niall Loughlin, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray. Subs: Mark Doherty for McEvoy (50), Cahir McMonagle for Loughlin (53), Declan Cassidy for Rogers (59), Patrick McGurk for McGrogan (66).
REFEREE: Jerome Henry (Mayo).
