DONEGAL OVERCAME DOWN by 17 points, 3-15 to 0-7, in Newry on Saturday night in their opening Allianz League Division 1 game.
- Peter Boyle stakes a real claim
WHEN it became apparent that Paul Durcan and Michael Boyle were not going to be available to play in a position they’d shared over the last ten years, Rory Gallagher was in something of a dilemma.
Danny Rodgers and Mark Anthony McGinley were the two goalkeepers mentioned as being in with the chance of winning the place.
Neither had played a senior game for Donegal before and it was Rodgers – but only after McGinley picked up a quad injury just miments before the Down game in the McKenna Cup – who played two of the three McKenna Cup games.
McGinley’s injury opened the door for Donegal goalkeeping’s forgotten man.
Peter Boyle played six times for Donegal’s seniors under Jim McGuinness and was the netminder with the Under-21s for their run to the All-Ireland final in 2010.
Having effectively begun the year as the fifth choice, Boyle was handed a start on Saturday night and a solid display means he’s set to continue in the role.
Boyle’s distribution was sound all night, bar one short kick-out to Eamonn Doherty that was intercepted.
He more than made up for that with a first-half penalty save from Donal O’Hare that was one of the key moments in the game.
“He’s like a cat the way he dives around for shots,” said McGuinness of a man who has another life now in a bid to be Donegal’s number 1.
- Finally, an away win
IN HIS four years as the Donegal manager, Jim McGuinness didn’t win an away game in Division 1.
Granted, Donegal did play two of those campaigns in Division 2, in 2011 and 2014, but it’s been fair to say that Donegal’s away record in the top flight hasn’t been good.
Donegal headed for Newry on Saturday evening without an away win since the John Joe Doherty-managed Donegal overcame Westmeath in Mullingar in March 2009.
Before then, Eamon McGee’s last-gasp goal in Castlebar in 2008 was the previous and it was no wins in 19 attempts before Saturday.
To start a campaign in which they have only three home games with an away win will surely breathe real confidence around the squad.
- The blending begins
RORY Gallagher handed first League appearances to Michael Carroll and Ciaran Thompson on Saturdsay night and they didn’t look out of place at all.
Carroll was black carded in the second half for a body-check on Donal O’Hare, but that could be put down to his lack of experience. Before that, Carroll had a fine game during which he was involved quite a bit.
Thompson has really played himself into Gallagher’s plans now. He was superb on Saturday night. The Glenties man took a well-hit point in the first half and was involved in the first two Donegal goals.
Saturday night saw the first appearances of the year of Eamon McGee, Neil Gallagher and the returned Rory Kavanagh.
The Donegal boss’ blending process is underway and it’s so far, so good.
- Michael Murphy just keeps on giving
MICHAEL Murphy was in one of those moods on Saturday night. Murphy put over eight points, seven from frees and one audacious score from a sideline ball in the 25th minute.
Eoin McHugh’s pass for Patrick McBrearty was cut out and the ball trickled over the sideline, on the left-hand side of the 20-metre line.
Conditions weren’t exactly those of a calm variety, but Murphy stepped up and struck a majestic point, the captain’s effort clipping the bar on the way over.
Murphy was magnificent throughout. Not only was he flawless from his placed kicks, but the Glenswilly man brought so much else to the party. It’s just routine now, but he really did lead the way on Saturday night.
- Down the favourites to go down
IT IS perhaps no surprise, on the evidence of Saturday night, that Down began 2016 as the firm favourites for relegation.
Down’s McKenna Cup was less-than inspiring, but hopes were high in Newry of, at least, a good performance against Donegal. They were wiped.
New manager Eamon Burns has a job on his hands and it’s easy to see why there has been a clamour for the returns of Benny Coulter, Dan Gordon and Marty Clarke.
Coulter confirmed in December that he will be back in the fold at some stage, while Gordon may yet be lured back.
Clarke, a 2010 All-Star, hasn’t played for Down since coming back from Collingwood in the AFL. Clarke suffers from Addison’s Disease and is lining out with Queen’s in the Sigerson Cup.
He’s taken a back seat in terms of a county appearance, but Down could be doing with his talents.
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