SHAUN PAUL BARRETT’S Donegal came out on top in Derry with a fine second half showing under the floodlights at Celtic Park.
Derry 0-6 Donegal 3-12
A goal by Jack Flannery from Naomh Conaill settled any early nerves when he drove under Derry goalkeeper Oran Harkin on four minutes following a delicate hand-off from clubmate Eoghan McGettigan after Aidan McLaughlin had bombed a ball in.
Enda McCormick pointed for Donegal on nine minutes but from there on, the play got scrappy from both teams – at half-time Donegal were 1-4 to 0-4 in front with both them and their hosts having kicked seven wides each.
Barrett had seen his tenure open with an encouraging opening win over Fermanagh, 2-11 to 0-8, in Ballyshannon before losing out at home to Tyrone, 2-8 to 1-9.
In the second half tonight though, Donegal were really the only side in it although Derry were unfortunate with a couple of goal chances.
A Brian Cassidy free for the hosts after the break took their arrears down to two but that was as good as it was going to get for the home team.
Donegal captain Niall O’Donnell, Pearar Mogan, Flannery and Kieran Gallagher slashed over points to make it 1-8 to 0-5 before the real game-changer came in the 42nd minute.
A shot from Derry full-back Gearoid McLoughlin beat Gavin Mulreany in the visitors’ goal but the Donegal full-back Aaron McCrea saved on the line and started a move that concluded 25 seconds later with Jason McGee smashing home a second goal.
Derry also saw Peadar McLaughlin go close when in on goal, only managing to hook wide but soon enough the heads dropped.
Donegal continued to chug their way up through the gears with McCormick from Termon kicking four fine points from play.
Another man who acquitted himself well was Odhran Ferry and with two minutes to go, following a pass from McGettigan, the Donegal wing-back poked home a third goal at the second attempt to ensure his side will head to Antrim on Saturday with a spring in their step.
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