Gallagher: Dungloe’s below par first half performance down to rustiness

Dungloe manager Dessie Gallagher felt the six-week gap since their Donegal IFC final win over Naomh Columba was the reason for his sides below par first half- half performance in the win over Dunloy Cúchullains in the Ulster IFC quarter-final on Saturday.

The Rosses club trailed 0-6 to 0-3 at the break in Ahoghill but turned things around in the second half to run out winners on a 1-11 to 0-7 scoreline.

“In the first half we were making mistakes on the ball and the boys came in at half-time and spoke about it  and they went out in the second half and kicked 1-8 without reply,” said the Dungloe boss.

“It wasn’t as if we were doing anything terribly wrong in the first half. It was just dropping that we were balls and going for goals when we should have taken the points. Really it was all down to rustines and we upped our game in the second half playing the football we are capable of playing.

“I still felt we were the better team in the first half even though it was not showing on the scoreboard.
Though three down having been on the  back foot for most of the opening 30 plus minutes Gallagher insisted the dressing room was calm at half-time.

“We have a very experienced and mature squad and  the likes of Darren Curran, Noel McBride, Ciaran Sharkey and Gerard Walsh,” Gallagher said. “They’re all very experienced, and they said at half-time that ‘we weren’t doing it.’
“The boys all agreed and said they were going to go out in the second half and leave everything on the field.”

Dungloe scored three quick points at the start of the second half to tie up the game at 0-6 apiece. And while they had to wait until the 48th minute for the lead point they were controlling the game and when Daniel Ward set up Shaun Magee for the goal six minutes from the end of normal time, the game was up.

Barry Curran and Dylan Sweeney did the bulk of the scoring Daniel Ward carried a big threat on the edge of the square and  Darren Curran had yet another big game in the middle of the field. And the defence was once again miserly and restricted the Antrim champions to six points in the first half and just one in the second.

Dunloy’s sole point  in the second period from a close in free was scored in the second minute of injury time. 
“Jason McBride, Christy Greene, Gerard Walsh and  Mark Curran are all top class defenders and they are all strong men on top of that,” Gallagher said. “They are hard to break down and that is what has stood to us right through the championship and they were brilliant again today.”

Dungloe came through Saturday’s challenge without their ace forward and leading scorer in the championship Oisin Bonner.  He suffered an ankle injury at training on Tuesday night.

“We kinda knew all week since he picked up the injury on Tuesday night that he was  in bother,” Gallagher said. “We gave him every chance to prove his fitness and we tried him out before the game. Hopefully we will have him  for the next day.

“But Ryan Brennan replaced him today and had a super game. Ryan is only 18 and that is the thing about the squad we have players that can come on and change the game. And we have men that come on and be as good as the man they replace.  And that is what you need at this level and we wouldn’t have got as far as we got this season with these players and a strong squad.”