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Result: Donegal 3-12 Galway 0-11
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Afternoon all, we’re building up to today’s second qualifier at Croke Park. Donegal still smarting from an Ulster final loss to Monaghan come up against a Galway team that saw off Derry last time out.
Here are the teams named to start, we’ll let you know of any late changes.
Galway
1. Brian O’Donoghue (Claregalway)
2. Johnny Duane (St James)
3. Finian Hanley (Salthill/Knocknacarra)
4. Cathal Sweeney (Killanin)
5. Gareth Bradshaw (Moycullen)
6. Gary O’Donnell (Tuam Stars)
7. Liam Silke (Corofin)
8. Fiontán Ó Curraoin (Micheál Breathnach)
9. Thomas Flynn (Athenry)
10. Gary Sice (Corofin)
11. Paul Conroy (St James) (C)
12. Michael Lundy (Corofin)
13. Adrian Varley (Cortoon Shamrocks)
14. Damien Comer (Annaghdown)
15. Danny Cummins (Claregalway)
Donegal
1 Paul Durcan (Baile Buadain Naomh Enna)
2 Paddy McGrath (Ard an Rátha)
3 Neil McGee (Gaoth Dobhair)
4 Eamon McGee (Gaoth Dobhair)
5 Ryan McHugh (Cill Charta)
6 Anthony Thompson (Naomh Conaill)
7 Frank McGlynn (Ghleann Fhinne)
8 Neil Gallagher (Gleann tSúili)
9 Martin McElhinney (Naomh Michael)
10 Christy Toye (Naomh Michael)
11 Odhrán Mac Niallais (Gaoth Dobhair)
12 Mark McHugh (Cill Charta)
13 Pádraig McBrearty (Cill Charta)
14. Michael Murphy (Gleann tSúili)
15. Colm McFadden (Naomh Michael)
Three late Donegal changes with Eamonn Doherty, Martin O’Reilly and Hugh McFadden in for Anthony Thompson, Martin McElhinney and Christy Toye.
Galway 0-1 Donegal 0-0
2 mins – Good start by the underdogs as Danny Cummins clips a point from play.
Galway 0-1 Donegal 0-1
4 mins – Beautiful point by Odhrán MacNiallais from distance ties the teams.
Donegal 0-2 Galway 0-1
5 mins – What a piece of brilliant work by Ryan McHugh there as he surged from defence and offloaded to Colm McFadden who boomed over a lovely point.
Donegal 1-2 Galway 0-1
6 mins – Galway are rocked as Donegal smash home the game’s first goal. It’s Colm McFadden who breaks and squares to Patrick McBrearty. He has the simple task of blasting the ball to the net.
The Galway subs today are:
Manus Breathnach, Sean Denvir, Eddie Hoare, Declan Kyne, Michael Martin, Peadar Óg Ó Gríofa, Patrick Sweeney, Ronan Steede, Enda Tierney, Paul Varley, Shane Walsh.
Donegal 1-2 Galway 0-2
10 mins – Galway needed that score to settle them down as Gary Sice knocks over a free. Chance then for Damien Comer to point but he shoots wide from play off his left.
The Donegal subs today are:
Mark A. McGinley, Anthony Thompson, Declan Walsh, Martin McElhinney, Christy Toye, David Walsh, Leo McLoone, Gary McFadden, Eoin Bán Gallagher, Ciaran McGinley, Daniel McLaughlin.
Donegal 1-2 Galway 0-3
12 mins – Galway are patient and work the space for midfielder Tom Flynn to launch over a super point.
Donegal 1-3 Galway 0-3
13 mins – Donegal respond with Frank McGlynn and Michael Murphy creating the chance for McFadden, who looks sharp so far, to point.
Donegal 1-4 Galway 0-3
17 mins – Donegal look like they can cause problems for Galway’s inside rearguard. McGlynn races forward again and there’s half a goal chance but Galway snuff him out and Donegal must be content with McBrearty popping over a point.
Donegal recycle the ball for a prolonged period, as boos ring out around Croke Park.
Donegal 1-4 Galway 0-4
23 mins – Galway eventually strip Donegal of possession and when they break the McHugh brothers can’t handle Damien Comer’s pace, resulting in a foul being conceded. Sice taps over the free.
Donegal 1-4 Galway 0-5
24 mins – Better play again from Galway as they win the checkout and when Gareth Bradshaw breaks, he pops a handpass that releases Adrian Varley into space. Maybe there was a chance to go for goal but from a tight angle, he elected to fist a point.
Donegal 1-4 Galway 0-6
26 mins – Now the gap is down to one. Sice taps over a free after he was fouled himself but the ball was brought into a more advantageous position due to Donegal protests.
28 mins – Donegal try to get a score to steady themselves but Ryan McHugh fires wide from the Cusack Stand side after being played in by his brother Mark.
30 mins – Galway work a good move through Liam Silke, Varley, Flynn and Bradshaw but Paul Conroy can’t finish it off from a tricky angle under pressure on the right wing.
32 mins – Yellow card for Galway’s Gary Sice. Relief for the Tribesmen that a black card wasn’t shown there to one of their key players.
32 mins – A good chance there and the type Galway need to be taking but Varley kicks wide after being fed by a fine delivery from Ó Curraoin.
Donegal 1-4 Galway 0-7
34 mins – Now that’s a rousing point for Galway. Captain Paul Conroy with a beauty from the left wing after an incisive run initially from Damien Comer.
35 mins – Yellow card for Michael Murphy after he commits high tackle on Sice. Big turnover before that from Sice on McFadden.
So an interesting opening half then and the teams are level at the break. Donegal stormed from the blocks with McBrearty smacking home a goal but his 16th minute point was their last score of the first-half. Galway working ferociously hard and they’ve struck the last four points of the opening-half to draw level.
Here’s the first-half scorers:
Galway: Gary Sice 0-3 (0-3f), Thomas Flynn, Paul Conroy, Adrian Varley, Danny Cummins 0-1 each.
Donegal: Patrick McBrearty 1-1, Colm McFadden 0-2, Odhrán Mac Niallais 0-1.
Two half-time Donegal changes in Anthony Thompson and Martin McElhinney coming in for Eamonn McGee and Martin O’Reilly.
39 mins – Early second-half wides from Donegal from Murphy (play) and McBrearty (free).
Galway 0-8 Donegal 1-4
42 mins – Galway hit the front. Adrian Varley chipping in with his second point of the game.
43 mins – A good chance for Galway to move in front by two but Paul Conroy pulls a free wide.
Donegal 1-6 Galway 0-8
45 mins – Magnificent point by Mac Niallais nudges Donegal in front.
Donegal 1-7 Galway 0-8
48 mins – That’s an incredible catch by Michael Murphy over Finian Hanley and he fires over a point that sends Donegal two clear.
Donegal 1-7 Galway 0-9
51 mins – Sice slots over the resultant free for Galway as Donegal bring in Declan Walsh for McGrath.
54 mins – Six second-half wides now for Donegal with McBrearty the latest culprit and he’s just been taken off after that wide with Leo McCloone coming in.
Donegal 1-8 Galway 0-9
57 mins – McFadden strikes a free for Donegal after Murphy was fouled by Finian Hanley.
Subs: Galway bring in Shane Walsh and Patrick Sweeney for Paul Conroy and Adrian Varley.
57 mins – Bad wide there by Galway corner-back Cathal Sweeney at a stage where Galway were attacking strongly and had numbers over.
Donegal 1-9 Galway 0-9
58 mins – No problem for Mac Niallais at the other end for Donegal as he floats over his third point of the evening.
Donegal 2-9 Galway 0-9
60 mins – What an amazing team move by Donegal. Duncan’s kickout is palmed down at midfield by McElhinney to Mac Niallais. He floats a neat pass to McFadden, who swivels and sends in a ball towards Murphy that hangs in the air. The Donegal captain rises above Finian Hanley and palms it one-handed into the path of Ryan McHugh and he slots to the net. Brilliant goal.
Donegal 2-10 Galway 0-10
62 mins – Some respite for Galway as Comer curls over a free but then McLoone bangs over a point at the other end for Donegal.
Donegal 2-10 Galway 0-11
63 mins – Stunning point off his left by Shane Walsh for Galway as he moves up the left wing and finishes stylishly.
come on galway rid us of this cancer
for the second game Ina row Murphy has got away with a blatant black card.
I think all the premium players are being given the benefit of the doubt e.g. Donaghy’s clothesline tackle in first Munster final game. #dangerous
My god this blanket crap is ruining the game.
It was far from a game of blanket defenses. Far from it. It seems to be a phrase that gets lazily thrown around any time Donegal play. The funny thing is they only really played a pure blanket defense strategy in McGuinness’s first year in charge. After that, they still were very strong defensively, but they mixed it with a strong counter attacking football.
Rory Gallagher has had them playing quite attacking football all year.
Why isn’t this on telly?
it is, sky sports.
FFS, still can’t believe they sold out their supporters, shocking move outa a organisation who pretends to put its fans first
Ah give it a rest Philip
You have a defeatist attitude Declan, do you alway let people walk all over and take advantage of you?
20 years ago there would have only been one televised game per weekend, now all four this weekend on TV. Rte x2 and Sky x2. It’s an open market and brings revenue to the game. I’m off to the pub to watch Donegal v Galway. Galliamh Abù!
I actually thought giving sky the rights was a great decision. Rte coverage was and still is gone to the dogs. Their level of analysis is so poor. Sky are at another level in regards analysis in every sport. Look what they did to rugby coverage, if they can force rte to up their own game then it’s great all round.
It’s the same players and teams on the pitch reguard less of the station. Do u need to listen to a panelist to form your own opinion? Some people are unable to watch a game and form their opinion, it’s ok to admit it Declan
Don’t worry Philip, I’m well able to watch games, sitting in the Cusack stand here as I type. There’s more to the games of football and hurling than just what happens on the ball. So that’s where good analysts come into it.
U should make an appointment for spec savers so
You’ve lost your credibility Philip. Best thing you can do is put the phone down and go off and have your dinner.
Because the greedy men running the GAA gave it to Sky
Sorry but that’s only available to the small minority of fans who pay for Skysports or can afford to pay for it
Change the record, it’s a commercial marketplace and if sky want to deal well then why not
I think it’s a shite decision and the viewing figures prove it – vast majority of fans are locked out of watching these games
He’s waiting for his ma to finish cooking it
Philip, you’re aware that you pay for rte too, right? In fact, forced by law to pay for it.
Rte still televise the same number of games they always have, sky are simply expanding the audience base. If you don’t want to pay for sky sports, fair enough, but I doubt there’s a Gaa club in Ireland that doesn’t have it, so you could always be a loyal Gaa man and watch it in your local club.
Every club has sky sports, have u ever been to a local club match?
Oh dear. That’s an appalling attempt at trolling. You do realise that by not using 2 question marks you’ve used the 1st part of your sentence to agree with me, don’t you? I thank you. As to your question, yes, I’ve attended and played in 000′s of club and county matches in every county in Ireland. In recent years, I’ve yet to visit a Gaa social club that didn’t have sky sports. Are you aware of many that don’t? The number of pubs that don’t have it I imagine is miniscule too.
That’s not telly
Just a shit station
I just won’t watch any match on that
Just another way for the big boys to rob us. !!!
Fans first? The gaa always put the money first!
So you’re not a fan of fielding ball and delivering long, quick diagonal balls in to the forward line Stephen?
Or are you so entrenched in your opinion (or should I say Pat Spillane’s opinion 2-3 years ago) that you still think Donegal play blanket defensive football?
Sean stop acting the bollix they area horrible mob.
Paul, you’re the definition of a troll. You come on here after every Donegal game spouting absolute thrash trying to get a wind-up. You obviously get some sort of kick out of it. It’s getting a bit pathetic to be honest.
Any stream sites?
http://firstrowusa.eu/others/first-donegal-vs-galway-usae77af
Cheers Ronan! Do they have all Sky’s GAA coverage?
Galway are shocking bad. Absolutely so frustrating to watch the poor attempts at goal. Then try watching Donegal style of football truly awful
Terrible wife’s from both sides. Donegal only started popping them over when Galway gave up at the end. But Galway have a good team there. Donegal aren’t the team they were under McGuinness put will definitely put up a fight for us next Saturday. Mayo Abù!
Ha! Wides I mean!
So you’re not a fan of fielding ball and delivering long, quick diagonal balls in to the forward line Stephen?
Or are you so entrenched in your opinion (or should I say Pat Spillane’s opinion 2-3 years ago) that you still think Donegal play blanket defensive football?