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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.
Liverpool are done. Milner, Henderson and Firmino are too old. Mane and Wijnaldum, two of their most consistent players, allowed to leave. Their replacements Thiago and Keith spend more time on the bench than on the pitch. Van Dijk is a good centre halve but his poor form is highlighting the lack of a decent partner for him. As for Salah? He looks like he has one eye on a move out of Anfield. Klopp will need a miracle to turn things around there.
@John Fagan: and the whole squad is burned out as a side affect of klopps high intensity style , same thing happened at dortmund.
@John Fagan: yeah the new guy Keith is really struggling in Manes old position. Good take.
@John Fagan: Didn’t Salah just sign a new contract at Liverpool over the summer? “Too old” Firmino who scored a brace and 3 assists just two weeks ago? Van Dijk’s main CB partner, Matip, is just back from injury. Mane wanted to leave but they signed Diaz who has been pretty prolific so far and Nunez so I’m not sure things are as bleak as you’re saying – and I’m not a Liverpool fan even
@John Fagan: we’ll see come the end of the season just how ‘done’ we are.
@Cathal Jenkinson: first of all Firminos brace and assists were against Bournemouth in a 9-0 hammering. Salah will come good, he’s too good of a player not too. In relation to VVD again he has, for some obvious and some less obvious reasons, been poor but should improve. It’s Midfield and using the high line where pool struggle. Thiago and Keita are injury prone and Henderson getting on. I think they’ll still get too 4 and get out of the group in the CL but that’s about it.
@Damien Leen: indeed we will
@John Fagan: as they where done 2 years ago. It’s great insights you find from opposing supporters.
@Gareth Keenan: Very harsh on Keith.
@Getard Lanslanger: I thought so too!
There’s no doubt Liverpool will bounce back. But the bar they set for themselves was incredible. It was almost 110% in 9 games out of 10. They’ll come back again but can’t see them getting close to city this year. Genuinely think there’s a good race on for 2nd across all the rest. Liverpool favourites but other teams now raising the bar themselves at the right time.
Liverpool s problems were evident long before Napoli game , and if you keep persisting doing the same thing and look for better then it’s called delusion . Keita is injured and all of a sudden he is fit for his country , something in the off field department needs sorting first imo .The high line is great if your mid field first does it’s job and I will include firmino in that department because he drops to bolster it , and the space that this leaves when people don’t work is obvious to all .
Always thought a manager’s job(generic, not just football) was to understand the scope, scale and changing nature of the environment within which they operate and adjust appropriately BEFORE the sh!t hits the fan.
Only a verbal agreement for potter at Chelsea , time to klippity klop down the road to london!!