Galway overpower Donegal to maintain unbeaten run in Division 2

Galway maintained their unbeaten run in emphatic fashion with a dominant 2-17 to 0-6 victory over Donegal in MacCumhaill Park Ballybofey in round five of Division 2.  

A clinical first-half display, featuring goals from Galway’s Shauna Hynes and Olivia Divilly, gave the visitors a commanding lead at the break, and they never looked back as Donegal fell to their first loss in 2025.  

Despite Donegal’s best efforts, Galway’s superior work rate and sharp finishing saw them pull further ahead in the second half, with Roisin Leonard and Ailbhe Davoren among the standout performers.  

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As Donegal struggled to find a way through, Galway’s relentless attack ensured a comprehensive win, strengthening their position in the league. 

The visitors opened the scoring in the first minute when Nicola Ward drove through the heart of the Donegal defence at speed and punted over off her right boot. 

The Connacht side were looking the sharper of the two teams early on, especially when focusing on the workrate in the opening stages between their half-forwards. Shauna Hynes and Ailbhe Davoren were linking up well with the former landing the second point of the day when left unmarked from close range. 

Jodie McFadden and Susanne White quickly levelled the match, both from frees, for the home side when they kicked off their right foot, but then Hynes took control and within a period of two attacks she rattled off 1-1.  

The first came from a turnover on Niamh Carr when Clare Friel passed the ball over her corner-back's head, leaving it for the Galway woman to sneak in, steal the ball, and fist over for her second score, while the goal came immediately from the kickout when the half-forward found space inside to compose herself and slot it past the goalkeeper. 

Donegal didn’t panic however and remained composed when in possession. They hit their third point when Kilcar’s Eva Gallagher darted through several players to fire off her left to make it 1-3 to 0-3. 

But then came Galway’s second goal on the 21st minute when Feena McManamon lost possession, leaving it for Roisin Leonard to play a simple pass to the unmarked Olivia Divilly who rattled the net. 

Galway cruised into a seven-point lead when Hynes, once again, split the posts, but Donegal rallied back with the final shot of the half when Jodie McFadden nailed her second of the afternoon to leave it 2-4 to 0-4 as the teams marched to the dressing rooms for the half-time break. 

The away side came out flying with an opening score from their first attack when Roisin Leonard added her name to the scoresheet. She followed this up five minutes later with two more points when she shot from distance, while Davoren joined the act in winning the opposition kickouts and raising a white flag in the process to make it 2-8 to 0-4. 

Donegal needed a response, and they got one with McFadden and White trading scores as the game entered the final quarter. 

By this point Galway looked very much in control and the only way for Donegal to salvage this game was through goals. Leonard nailed over her fourth point of the day, while goal scorer Divilly raised her first white flag to leave the scoreline 2-10 to 0-6 points. 

By the time match hit the final 10 minutes Galway had pushed to 14 points ahead with Davoran, Leonard, Divilly, and substitute Kate Slevin all nailing some fine scores while Donegal hadn’t scored since the 41st minute. 

As the subs came on, the scores kept coming Galway’s way with the Connacht side keeping their undefeated streak intact as Slevin and fellow substitute Maryanne Jordan fired over the final scores as they recorded a well-earned 2-17 to 0-6 point win in Ballybofey. 

Donegal scorers: Jodie McFadden 0-3, 2fs; Susanne White 0-2, 1f; Eva Gallagher 0-1. 
Galway scorers: Olivia Divilly and Shauna Hynes 1-3 each; Roisin Leonard 0-5, 1f; Ailbhe Davoran 0-2; Kate Slevin 0-2, 1f; Nicola Ward, and Maryanne Jordan 0-1 each. 

Donegal: Clare Friel; Niamh Carr, Cait Gillespie, Sophie McFeeley; Shauna McFadden, Evelyn McGinley, Niamh Boyle; Roisin Rodgers, Rhíana McColgan; Feena McManamon, Katie Dowds, Ava Walsh; Eva Gallagher, Susanne White, Jodie McFadden. Subs: Abbie McGrannaghan for McFadden, Tara Rose Mahon for Boyle, and Amy Porter for Gillespie (all HT); Mia Bennett for McManamon (38); Julie Treaty for Walsh (50); Niamh Harkin for McFeely and Leeza Cunningham for McFadden (both 56). 

Galway: Derbhla Gower; Chellene Trill, Sarah Ní Lionsigh, Kate Geraghty; Charlotte Cooney, Nicola Ward, Sophie Healy; Louise Ward, Siobhan Divilly; Kate Thompson, Shauna Hynes, Ailbhe Davoren; Eva Noone, Roisin Leonard, Olivia Divilly. Subs: Hannah Noone for Hynes and Kate Slevin for Cooney (both 50); Leanne Coen for Davoren and Maryanne Jordan for Trill (both 53); Marta Banek for Leonard and Lynsey Noone for Thompson (both 56); Shiofra Ní Scanlain for Divilly, Aoife O’Rourke for Noone, and Aisling Madden for Geraghty (all 59). 

Referee: Declan Carolan