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2024 Allianz Football League Division 2 – Donegal 1-20 Cork 2-6

January 28 @ 1:45 pm - 3:30 pm

Donegal defeated Cork by 1-20 to 2-6 in Round 1 of the 2024 Allianz Football League Division 2 on Sunday January 28th at MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey.

Long road home for Cork after 11-point defeat to Donegal

Donegal 1-20 Cork 2-6

Report from the Irish Examiner newspaper

Jim McGuinness’s first league game back in charge of Donegal in almost a decade saw them hammer Cork in their Division 2 opener.

Cork haven’t won an opening day fixture in Division 2 since they fell into it in 2017 and although it was felt this was certainly a tough one to start with, the journey home will have a few more miles added onto it with plenty to ponder.

There was a swing in the live odds prior to throw-in with Brian Hurley coming into the Cork starting team and Oisin Gallen going off Donegal’s. But Patrick McBrearty would score 1-6 and Odhran Doherty’s three at a stage in the contest when it was still in the melting pot, were important.

Another factor and a considerable one at that, was the breeze, with the ripples on the back of Donegal’s sorts in the opening half. After their Dr McKenna Cup loss to Derry, on a windy night in Omagh eight nights beforehand, McGuinness admitted they had won the toss and, a little perversely, played their best passages of play came against it and not with it.

In Ballybofey, their intentions were clear from the start, kicking over the first four scores inside of eight minutes, two of which came from McBrearty’s frees.

Cork had little of the ball initially and saw Hurley miss a pretty routine free, although he was back involved moments later, in the 15th minute, when the visitors finally for off the mark. Hurley, Ian Maguire, Ruairi Deane all played cameos before a slap-in goal from Eoghan McSweeney.

Brian O’Drissoll, with the first of two first-half scores, brought Cork level at 1-1 to 0-4 and, as conditions worsened, Donegal looked to be losing their way.

However, Doherty pointed the way, with three excellent long-rangers, making the most of the wind, and Ryan McHugh. Ciaran Thompson and Peadar Mogan followed suit, to give Donegal a lead of 0-9 to 1-2 four minutes before half-time.

Jones pulled another one back from Cork, although Donegal – perhaps taking collective responsibility in the absence of their main score-getter Gallen – finished the half well. Daire Ó Baoill, Brendan McCole and Shane O’Donnell added the names to the scoresheet, meaning the side managed by McGuinness had nine different first-half scorers.

At the break, they were 0-12 to 1-3 ahead, although every member of the 5,092 in attendance knew the second half was likely to be an entirely different affair.

Donegal pushed up and pinned Cork in, scoring the opening two points of the second half, through McBrearty and Ó Baoill. But for Patrick Doyle in the Cork goal, that might’ve been more as he narrowed the angle and got behind a Thomspon swing on the ground.

At the other end, Gavin Mulreany had to be alert too, getting down well to stop an O’Driscoll from Cork’s first meaningful attack of the second half, eight minutes in. Moments later, Mulreany was knicking over a free, so 50 minutes in, Donegal were 0-15 to 1-3 up.

A Cork goal, though, showed them a track, when they were losing their way. A Donegal attack broke down and Deane’s long ball bounced over McCole and with Mulreany up the field, Chris Óg Jones skipped away and stroked into the empty net on 51. The same player added a point and Michael Cleary’s team were back to six down, 0-15 to 2-4.

Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride and Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride brought Donegal’s scorers’ total to 12, with McBrearty’s goal a belter, five minutes from the end when his side broke four-on-two and Ciaran Moore provided the last pass.

Donegal scorers: Patrick McBrearty 1-6, 6f; Odhran Doherty 0-3; Daire Ó Baoill 0-2; Jamie Brennan, Ciaran Thompson, Ryan McHugh, Peadar Mogan, Shane O’Donnell, Brendan McCole, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride and Caolan McGonagle 0-1; Gavin Mulreandy 0-1, 1f.

Cork scores: Chris Óg Jones 1-2; Eoghan McSweeney 1-0; Brian O’Driscoll 0-2; Mark Cronin 0-1; Steven Sherlock 0-1,1f.

Donegal: Gavin Mulreany; Mark Curran, Brendan McCole, Kevin McGettigan; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Ciaran Moore; Ciaran Thompson, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride; Peadar Mogan, Odhran Doherty, Shane O’Donnell; Daire Ó Baoill, Patrick McBrearty, Jamie Brennan
Subs: Eoghan Ban Gallagher for McGettigan (23), Oisin Caulfield and Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí for O’Donnell and Doherty (56), Luke McGlynn for Brennan (64), Aaron Doherty for Ó Baoill (69)

Cork: Patrick Doyle; Maurice Shanley, Tommy Walsh, Sean Meehan; Luke Fahy, Rory Maguire, Matty Taylor; Ian Maguire, Colm O’Callaghan; Eoghan McSweeney, David Buckley, Brian O’Driscoll; Ruairi Deane, Brian Hurley, Chris Og Jones
Subs: Darragh Cashman for Shnley (47) Mark Cronin for Buckley (48), Steven Sherlock for Hurley (52), Fionn Herlihy for Deane (57), Danial O’Mahoney for MacSweeney (66) Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).

Match Coverage

Match Preview

Team News

DONEGAL (AFL v Cork): G Mulreany; M Curran, B McCole, K McGettigan; R McHugh, C McGonagle, C Moore; C Thompson, O Caulfield; P Mogan, O Doherty, S O’Donnell; P McBrearty, O Gallen, J Brennan
Subs: D Roberts, J Mac Ceallabhul, D Ó Baoill, S McMenamin, A Doherty, D Mac Giolla Bhride, L McGlynn, R Frain, J Molloy, R O’Donnell, E Gallagher.

Details

Date:
January 28
Time:
1:45 pm - 3:30 pm

Venue

Ballybofey

GAA Units

Clare GAA
Cork GAA
Kerry GAA
Limerick GAA
Tipperary GAA
Waterford GAA
US GAA