Donegal go down in low-key Allianz League semi-final against Dublin at Breffni Park

Maybe half a league championship wasn’t the most appealing of prizes two weeks out from an Ulster SFC preliminary round tie in Newry, so after Donegal’s four-point Allianz League Division 1 semi-final loss at Dublin’s hands, that can be a priority.

Donegal 1-14 Dublin 1-18

With the truncated nature of the season and that fixture in Down in 15 days time Declan Bonner knew there would be no chance of a league final being played. Whatever chance Dublin had of contesting one was erased when Kerry hammered Tyrone 6-13 to 1-14 in Killarney.

Six changes to Donegal's programme team meant for a bit of franticness in the pressbox beforehand, although, with essentially nothing to play for, the action on the pitch was a little bit more laboured. Donegal did reasonably well, not afraid to pull back men when the need came and Dublin did likewise. 

The only thing out of the ordinary initially, was when James McCarthy was denied what would’ve been a quite bizarre goal on eight minutes when he won possession outside of the 45 and tried to lob Shaun Patton, only for the ball to bounce towards goal and then wide.

With a couple of hundred in attendance, there was a bit of atmosphere, although the Donegal supporters weren’t overly pleased by a few calls made by referee Ciaran Branagan and Cormac Costello would score four first half frees.

Caolan McGonagle edged Donegal 0-5 to 0-4 ahead by the first water-break and at that stage it was merited. 

However, between then and half-time Dublin were comfortably the better team and after Ciaran Kilkenny eked them ahead for the first time on 27 minutes, a goal a minute later from Paddy Small when he worked the angle across Patton before shooting home. Odhran Mac Niallais trundling off before the interval will be a concern, though.

Donegal had complained about a foul at the other end that led to the turnover. Dublin had a cushion and a half-time lead of four points, 1-8 to 0-7.

Three Dublin points at the start of the second half dunted Donegal back further back, with Sean McMahon, Brian Fenton and Kilkenny scoring. Donegal, with Patrick McBrearty continuing his fine form in recent weeks - he’d scored 0-20 in three outings in the ‘mini Ulster championship’ as the northern section of Division 1 was known - with another six points, Donegal kept the scoreboard ticking. 

Whatever chance they had of really clawing their way, Evan Comerford in the Dublin goal saved well from Oisin Gallen, who drove low and hard, on 52 minutes. 

Donegal were rewarded for chipping away late on when Eoghan McGettigan grabbed a late consolation goal and point, while Michael Langan also scored, and Bonner might’ve thought as he glanced at the scoreboard late on that it could’ve been worse. 

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Eoin McHugh, Stephen McMenamin, Brendan McCole; Ethan O'Donnell, Ryan McHugh, Odhrán McFadden-Ferry; Caolan McGonagle (0-1), Michael Langan (0-2); Ciaran Thompson, Odhrán Mac Niallais (0-1), Hugh McFadden; Patrick McBrearty (0-6, 2f 1m), Niall O'Donnell (0-1), Oisin Gallen. Sub: Conor O’Donnell for Mac Niallais (29), Caolan Ward for McMenamin (half-time), Eoghan McGettigan (1-1) and Eunan Doherty for Gallen and McFadden-Ferry (55), Daire O Baoill and Jason McGee for N O’Donnell and McFadden (57), Tony McCleneghan for E McHugh (64)

Dublin: Evan Comerford; Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne, Sean McMahon (0-1); James McCarthy, Eoin Murchan, Brian Howard; Brian Fenton (0-1), Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne; Paddy Small (1-3, 1m), Ciaran Kilkenny (0-2), Niall Scully; Colm Basquel, Con O'Callaghan (0-3), Cormac Costello (0-6, 45, 5f). Subs:Eric Lowndes for Murchan (half-time), Sean Bulger for Basquel (50),  Tom Lahiff and Aaron Byrne (0-1) for Ó Cofaigh Byrne and Scully (55), Conor McHugh and Philly McMahon for Kilkenny and Fitzsimons (62), Shane Carthy for Small (68).

Referee: Ciaran Branagan (Down).