Donegal 0-12
Cork 1-8
EVEN THE DISMISSAL of Michael Murphy couldnโt deter Donegal from posting a narrow win over Cork in the Allianz League Division One in Ballyshannon this afternoon.
The Donegal captain was giving his marching orders on 47 minutes at a stage in the contest where Rory Gallagherโs side were in complete control having spun off five consecutive scores at the start of the second half.
Brian Cuthbertโs Cork โ on their second of four visits to Ulster in this seasonโs league โ are becoming battle-hardened of late having arrived in the north-west as the only one of eight top-flight teams with a maximum haul of four points from their first two outings.
With a sizeable wind in their faces in the first half, Donegal wouldโve been content to go in at 0-5 to 0-5. Marty OโReilly was the standout feature in that total, while at the other end Corkโs Colm OโNeill slotted over a couple of frees.
But in the opening quarter-hour of the second half Donegal were rampant with Murphy landing two mammoth wind-assisted frees for a 0-10 to 0-5 advantage before his dismissal.
Cork, a man to the good, got right back into the contest when Tomas Clancy goaled on 55 minutes when he slapped home a centre from Brian Hurley after Mark Collinsโ effort at a point was hung up in the wind.
Donegal swamped out their defence and played on the counter-attack as Cork pressed and Paddy McBreartyโs point on the hour proved to be the winner.
Scorers for Donegal: M OโReilly 0-4, M Murphy 0-3 (3f), P McBrearty 0-3 (1f), C Toye 0-1, M Murphy 0-1 (1f)
Scorers for Cork: C OโNeill 0-4 (4f), Tomas Clancy 1-0, K OโDriscoll, M Collins, B Hurley 0-1 each, D OโConnor 0-1 (1f)
Donegal
1. Paul Durcan
2. Paddy McGrath
3. Neil McGee
4. Eamonn Doherty
5. Frank McGlynn
6. Karl Lacey
7. Mark McHugh
8. Neil Gallagher
9. Christy Toye
10. Martin OโReilly
11. Odhran MacNiallais
12. Ryan McHugh
13. Patrick McBrearty
14. Michael Murphy
15. Hugh McFadden
Substitutions: Martin McElhinney for McFadden (half-time), Colm McFadden for Toye (54), Anthony Thompson for Lacey (58), Eamon McGee for Doherty (62), Joe Gibbons for McBrearty (69)
Cork
1. Ken OโHalloran
2. Tom Clancy
3. Michael Shields
4. James Loughrey
5. Jamie OโSullivan
6. Eoin Cadogan
7. Tomas Clancy
8. Fintan Goold
9. Mark Collins
10. Colm OโDriscoll
11. John OโRourke
12. Kevin OโDriscoll
13. Colm OโNeill
14. Donncha OโConnor
15. Brian Hurley
Substitutions: Conor Dorman for OโSullivan (42), Paul Kerrigan for OโConnor (45), Paddy Kelly for C OโDriscoll (54), John Hayes for C OโDriscoll (62), Donal Og Hodnett for OโRourke (63)
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan).
Gerry Adams