Donegal get U-17 Ulster League off to winning start against Fermanagh

Donegal got their Ulster U-17 League campaign off to a good start with a comfortable win over Fermanagh at the Donegal Training Centre.

Donegal 2-13
Fermanagh 0-7

The visitors looked sharp early on but once Donegal got their game together they pushed the lead out to four points at half-time. Then two goals early in the second half put the game to bed.

Donegal had Donal Gallagher from Glenswilly as captain. When was the last time a club had the minor and senior captain?Maybe 1992 with Anthony Molloy and Damien Diver?

MacCumhaill's man Conor McGinty was in top scoring form early on, notching the first two points on three and five minutes.
Daithi Gildea added a free before Cian O'Brien had Fermanagh's first point from a 45m free on 10 minutes.

Ryan Barrett and Cian McGee again added to the Donegal tally to lead 0-5 to 0-1, but midway through the half Fermanagh hit back with three points, the first a magnificent effort by Mattie McDermott from an angle and Cian O'Brien fired over two brilliant frees to cut the lead to the minimum.

Gildea doubled the Donegal lead from a free on 21 minutes and Ryan Barrett added another five minutes from the break. Finbarr Roarty completed the first half scoring with a good points with his left but Fermanagh had the only goal chance of the half in added time but Tiernann McKenna from just yards out messed it up and it was deflected out for a '45'.

Donegal got the perfect start to the second half with Daithi Gildea sending Karl Joseph Molloy clear to fire low to the net.
Tiernan McKenna replied with a 13m free and he had a goal chance seconds later but Zach Conlon blocked the effort. Karl Joseph Molloy then hit a great point with his left before McKenna replied with another free to leave it 1-9 to 0-6.

Daithi Gildea added his third free and then set up Conor McGinty for another. Donegal were now completely on top and Seanan Carr was on the edge of a high ball to knock in a second goal. Carr also repeated the trick seconds later, deflected out for a '45' before Daithi Gildea made it 2-12 to 0-6 after 15 minutes.

The referee was going to award a penalty to Fermanagh for a foot block by Eoghan Kelly but after consulting his umpires it was changed to a '45'. There was at least two metres between the players when the block was made.

Both sides made a number of substitutes which broke up the play. Keelan Fitzpatrick had a seventh point for Fermanagh with four minutes left and Eoghan Kelly denied Fermanagh a second time, taking a ball off the line. Captain Donal Gallagher completed the scoring with the last kick of the game.

Scorers - Donegal: Karl Joseph Molloy 1-1; Seanan Carr 1-0; Daithi Gildea 0-4,3f; Conor McGinty 0-3; Ryan Barrett 0-2; Finbarr Roarty 0-1; Cian McGee 0-1
Fermanagh: Cian O'Brien 0-3,3f; Mattie McDermott 0-1, Tiernan McKenna 0-2,2f; Keelan Fitzpatrick 0-1; Donal Gallagher 0-1.

Donegal: Zach Conlon (Malin); Shaun McMenamin (MacCumhaill's), Niall Prenderville (St Naul's), Donal Gallagher (Glenswilly); Cian Mac Aoidh (Dungloe), Eoghan Kelly (Aodh Ruadh), Finnbarr Roarty (Naomh Conaill); Cian McMenamin (Termon), Lorcan McGee (Cloughaneely); Karl Joseph Molloy (Ardara), Conor McGinty (MacCumhaill's), Ryan Barrett (Bundoran); Padraig Coyle (Cloughaneely), Daithi Gildea (Glenswilly), Seanan Carr (Four Masters).
Subs: Sean Martin (MacCumhaill's) for C McMenamin ht; Sean McLaughlin (Buncrana) for P Coyle 42; Odhran O'Connor (Glenfin) for C McGee 45; Kevin Lynch (Naomh Padraig, Muff) and Eoghan Scott (Glenswilly) for S McMenamin and S Carr, both 51

Fermanagh: Shea Mulligan; Oisin Swift, Liam McEnri, Jake Cadden; Ciaran Cullen, Lanty Feely, Tiaenan McKenna; Conor O'Hanlon, Cal McAnespie; Stephen O'Brien, Cian O'Brien, Michael Burns; Keelan Fitzpatrick, Caolan Brennan, Mattie McDermott.

Referee: Richie Donoghue (Derry)