Donegal U-20s make light work of Antrim in Ballyshannon to make it three from three

Donegal grabbed their third win of the Ulster U-20 championship as Gary Boyle’s side cruised to a 12-point with at Fr Tierney Park. 

Even though they were without the considerable services of Finnbarr Roarty, Padraig Mac Giolla Bhride, Max Campbell, Kevin Muldoon, Turlough Carr as well as the injured Conor McCahill, Donegal still had way too much for the young Saffrons. 

Kicking into the mouth of the elements in Ballyshannon, matters were all square at the changeover. 

But Donegal really took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second-half as they rattled off five two-pointers in a  much improved display of kicking in front of the posts. 

The hostsl, against the breeze, opened well in Ballyshannon notching the first three points through Alex Cunnea, Donnacha Ó Baoighill and Shane Callaghan. 

However, on 13 minutes the visitors undid all that early endevour in one fell swoop when Niall Hynds’ ‘45 dropped short and with the breaking ball not being dealt with by Donegal, Padraig Murray reacted quickest from close range to blast to the net. 

To be fair to Donegal, that headway was soon recouped as Callaghan, Callum McCrea and Kalvin McLaughlin all strung back-to-back overs together to leave it 0-6 to 1-0. 

Antrim grabbed their first point on 18 minutes thanks to a JJ Higgins free. But, on 20 minutes, Donegal had the ball in the back of the net themselves when a Lewis McCaughan free from distance was swatted home by the alert Darragh Hennigan. 

Higgins then landed a second free for the Saffrons and the gap was back to seven, six minutes out from the midpoint. 

However, a porous Donegal defence allowed Murray to raid through the middle and with his offload timed to perfection, Ryan McKeever hammered in a second Antrim three-pointer.  

And with Higgins bringing the curtain down on the first-half action with another clipped free from the hands, matter were tied at the changever at 1-6 to 2-3. 

Donegal took some time to settle when things got going once more but Callaghan was the one eventually stepping up with a 46th minute two-pointer to get the scoring action under weay once more. 

The Naomh Columba man notched his fifth point of the contest soon after with a free from the wide right, just inside the arc. 

Donegal were now settling into their task nicely as McCaughan also used the stiff breeze to float over another two-point effort that propelled his side out to 1-11. 

The one-way traffic continued, moving into the fourth and final quarter as McLaughlin also boomed over another Donegal two-pointer as the gap widened to seven. 

Substitute Tomás Carr then posted the home side’s fourth effort from outside the arc, in the second period, as Donegal moved onto 1-15 and Antrim remained locked on that previous 2-3. 

Ten minutes out from the end and Antrim finally broke a 22-minute scoring duck as Higgins grabbed a free. 

Still, with another Donegal replacement Thomas Lenehan banging in a quickfire 1-1, the scoreboard read 2-17 to 2-4 with five to go. 

Before the end, Daire Higgins, Liam McLernon and JJ Higgins brought the scoring curtain down on Antrim’s afternoon while Donegal coasted through those final moments to deservingly take a handsome victory. 

Donegal scorers: Shane Callaghan 0-6, 1tp; Thomas Lenehan 1-1, Darragh Hennigan 1-0; Donnacha Ó Baoighill. 0-3, 1tp; Kalvin McLaughlin 0-3, 1tp; Lewis McCaughan 0-2, 1tp; Tomás Carr 0-2, 1tp; Alex Cunnea and Callum McCrea 0-1 each. 

Antrim scorers: JJ Higgins 0-4, 4f; Padraig Murray 1-0; Ryan McKeever 1-0; Daire Higgins 0-2; Liam McLernon 0-1 each. 

Donegal: Lewis McCaughan; Eoghan O’Neill, Cathal Mac Aoidh, Aaron Neely; Luke Clerkin, Callum McCrea, Jamie Gavigan; Kalvin McLaughlin, Darragh Hennigan; Alax Cunnea, Dylan Mulholland, Eoghan Scott; Shane Callaghan, Ciaran Cassidy, Donnacha Ó Baoighill. 

Subs: Tomás Carr for Scott (ht), Luke McGuinness for Cunnea (36), Thomas Lenehan for Mulholland (43), Cian Gavigan and Pauric Devine for McCrea and McLaughlin (both 50)

Antrim: Senan Nagle; James Óg McAuley, Segdae Mac Adhaimh, Fionn Jemfrey; Ethan Walsh, Liam McLernon, Conor O’Donnell; Niall Hynds, Isaac Robinson; Aaron Mackle, Jack O’Neill, Ryan McKeever; Padraig Murray, JJ Higgins, Corey Walsh. 

Subs: Sé Ferris for Jemfrey (44), Daire Higgins for Murray (48), Pauric Redmond for McKeever (50), Daire Oglesby for O’Donnell (53), Eoghan Sherry for Walsh (58)

Referee: Eoin Murphy (Fermanagh).