Donegal down in numbers for Roscommon U-20 game on Saturday

Donegal U-20 manager Shaun Paul Barrett will be working off a reduced panel for Saturday’s Leo Murphy U-20 Football League clash with Roscommon in MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey. (Throw-in 2 pm).

The Donegal boss will definitely be without four and possibly five of the players who featured in last Saturday’s first round draw with Derry, in Celtic Park.

Already without Ulster Schools All-Stars Shane O’Donnell, St Eunan’s College; Rory O’Donnell, Loreto, Milford, he is definitely without Aaron Deeney, Ethan Harkin, Mark McAteer and Matthew Duffy who all played in Celtic Park last Saturday.

Deeney and Harkin both started against Derry and McAteer and Duffy were used from the bench.

They are all members of the Letterkenny IT squad who play Athlone IT on Sunday in the first round of the Sigerson Cup.

St Eunan’s Peter McEniff, who scored two points from wing-back, has a Freshers game with Dublin City University on Saturday.

“It is far from ideal but we are just going to have to get on without them,” said the Donegal boss.

“It would not be very fair on the lads playing Sigerson if they had to play a game on Saturday and another game on Sunday so we are going to have to go ahead without them.”

On top of all that Fionn Gallagher, Ryan Brogan and Eric Carr missed last weekend’s game due to injury and the Donegal boss is unsure if they will be fit to play this weekend.

“We will know better after training tonight (Wednesday) what is the story on the injury front and we will be keeping our fingers crossed the three boys that missed last weekend’s game will be fit to play some part.”

DRAWS

With Donegal and Derry and Roscommon and Mayo drawing last weekend in their respective first round games the stakes are high once again this weekend for all four teams in the group.

Derry face Mayo in James Stephen’s Park, Ballina, also on Saturday.

Midfielder Ronan Frain with two late points was Donegal’s saviour against Derry, in a game they had all but wrapped up by the midway mark in the second half when they led by five points.

But Derry hit two goals in the space of three minutes at the end of the third quarter and it was Donegal who were chasing the game from then to the finish.

Man of the match Frain, who ended the game with four points from midfield, with his two late strikes earned Donegal a deserved draw.

Frain with 0-4, Aaron Doherty 0-3, Peter McEniff, Keelan McGroddy and Ethan Harkin 0-2 each and Johnny McGroddy 0-1 were the Donegal scorers.

The game ended Donegal 0-14, Derry 3-5.

The concession of the three goals, especially the two quickfire goals in the middle of the second half, were a big concern for the Donegal management.

“We are disappointed with the three goals we conceded but saying that for long periods I thought we defended very well,.

“The two goals in the second half were sloppy goals to give away and they changed the course of the game. It is something we are going to have to work on this week.”

Roscommon hit two goals in their 2-10 to 1-13 draw with Mayo in Castlerea. Mayo hit a late point to earn the share of the points.

Donegal are away to Mayo next weekend.

Donegal chalked up a big win against Roscommon in the competition last night. The side, then managed by Gary McDaid, scored eight goals in a runaway win

The Donegal team on Sunday last was:

DONEGAL: Ronan McGeehin; Aaron Gillooley, Conor O'Donnell, Oisin Walsh; Peter McEniff (0-2), Luke Gavigan, Richard O'Rourke; Aaron McGlynn, Ronan Frain (0-4); Keelan McGroddy (0-2) , Ethan Harkin (0-2,1f), Aaron Doherty (0-3,1f); Conor McHugh, Padraig McGettigan, Johnny McGroddy (0-1).

Subs: Cormac Finn for A McGlynn 44; Mark McAteer for J McGroddy 52; Carlos O’Reilly for Ethan Harkin, 56. ; Carlos O’Reilly for Harkin 56.