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The 2006 Ulster SFC finally came
to life as youthful Donegal came strong in the
second half of a thriller to see off Down by a
point, 1-12 to 1-11, at Ballybofey.
The prize for the victors is a provincial semi-final
against Derry, while Down are into the first round
of the qualifiers (against Sligo) in spite of their
victory over Cavan, which now counts for nothing.
Donegal were fitter and sharper, and deserved to win
by more than a single point - it could have and
should have been by about six or seven points.
Donegal missed two good goal changes and a bag full
of scoreable points. In the end Doengal, had to live
on their nerves before the final whistle sent the
home support into a state of euphoria.
Donegal went into an early lead with a point from a
free by Michael Doherty after a foul by the other
No.15 Michael Walsh. Dan Gordon burst through to
equalise but wing back Eamonn McGee restored
Donegal’s lead after the Mourne County survived a
penalty appeal.
Another impressive Doherty free – off the ground
from the right wing with his right boot – extended
the differential. However, in the ninth minute, Down
went in front against the run of play:
closely-marked captain Benny Coulter intelligently
picked out his colleague Daniel Hughes and the No.13
wasted no time in firing an unstoppable drive past
the exposed Paul Durcan to the net.
But Conal Dunne replied instantly with his
first-ever championship point: 0-4 to 1-1 and no
wides in the opening twelve minutes.
Down’s John Clarke was the first player to miss the
target and some desperate Donegal defending
culminated in a foul on marauding midfielder Ambrose
Rogers, with Hughes accurately obliging from the
resultant free. Under pressure, Donegal stalwart
Michael Hegarty fired wide but Rory Kavanagh
skilfully executed the hosts’ fifth point following
excellent midfield fetching by Noel Gallagher.
Liam Doyle (Down) and Barry Monaghan (Donegal) each
saw yellow for an off-the-ball exchange and Rogers
sent a 45 wide. Centre forward Doyle floated over
the lead point from a left-footed free on the right
25 minutes in.
Ronan Murtagh became the third player to pick up a
yellow card and Doherty then missed an easier free
than the two he had knocked over
Down opened a two-point gap with an excellent
flowing move involving Doyle and Murtagh (who
converted), and Hughes pointed off his right foot
from an acute angle after bizarrely crawling through
his marker’s legs!
Two minutes from the end, Kavanagh jinked past Alan
Molloy and registered Donegal’s first score in 14
minutes to bring the gap down to two, 1-5 to 0-6.
Down corner back Martin Cole had to be alert to see
off Donegal’s next raid and Doyle missed by a few
feet in the last minute of first-half normal time.
But Doyle was on hand to clip over his second point
after Donegal full back Paddy Campbell had beaten
Coulter to the trademark direct delivery. Doherty
spurned another relatively simple free two minutes
into stoppage time and Adrian Scullion picked up a
yellow card seconds before the half-time whistle
blew with Down ahead by a goal, 1-6 to 0-6.
Coulter improvised brilliantly to punch the ball
over the bar in the second minute of the second half
after a soccer-style Down move and half back Barry
Dunnion quickly replied.
The sides were level by the 38th minute when
Kavanagh breached the Down rearguard with a
blistering shot to the roof of the net. Dunnion had
caught Down sleeping and picked out the No.12 as
Donegal ruled the left wing of their attack. A
defining score.
Down’s Paul Murphy became the third wing back to
register a score in this match, putting the Mourne
men back in front with a good point, and Donegal
No.14 Dunne made it 1-8 apiece with a tremendous
left-footed effort over the shoulder.
Hegarty had Donegal back in front with a mighty
point ten minutes after the restart.
Walsh restored parity when his shot crept inches
inside the post but Donegal had no such fortune at
the other end as they struck the woodwork twice in a
minute. First, Doherty’s free came back off the post
and then (following excellent perseverance from
Dunne) Ciaran Bonner saw his low goal effort beat
Down goalkeeper Brendan McVeigh only to hit the butt
of the same post and rebound to safety.
McVeigh kept his team in it with a fine save after
Christy Toye’s first score had edged Brian McIver’s
team back in front. Fourteen minutes from the end,
Murtagh gave the Down renewed hope with a shot that
was palmed over the bar by Donegal keeper Durcan to
leave it 1-10 apiece.
With Down struggling noticeably in the sapping heat,
their midfield completely out of the game, having
caught very little ball during the whole game,
Hegarty struck another inspirational Donegal score
in the 58th minute. Down subs Mark Doran and Conor
Laverty received yellows within a minute of each
other, while Adrian Sweeney announced his arrival
with a magnificent point for the buoyant home team,
1-12 to 1-10.
Hughes and Doran both missed chances to close the
gap. As Donegal tried to play down the clock, Doyle
closed the gap to one with a 69th-minute free. Down
swarmed forward desperately in search of an
injury-time equalising score as a succession of
Donegal players went to ground in an effort to waste
time.
With the tension mounting and three extra minutes
due to be played, Down were awarded a late free five
minutes into injury time. It was a perfect situation
for 1999 Minor winning Captain Liam Doyle but the
No.11 had been substituted minutes earlier by last
years winning captain James Colgan. The free
was then left to Hughes and Hughes’ effort with the
outside of the boot went well wide.
Donegal: P Durcan; N McGee, P Campbell, K Lacey; E
McGee (0-1), M Hegarty (0-2), B Dunnion (0-1); N
Gallagher, B Monaghan; C Toye (0-1), C Bonner, R
Kavanagh (1-2); C Kelly, C Dunne (0-2), M Doherty
(0-2). Subs: B Boyle, A Sweeney (0-1), D Diver
Down: B McVeigh; M Cole, B Grant, A Molloy; P Murphy
(0-1), J Clarke, A Scullion; A Rogers, D Gordon
(0-1); E McCartan, L Doyle (0-3), R Murtagh (0-2); D
Hughes (1-2), B Coulter (0-1), M Walsh (0-1). Subs:
M Doran, C Laverty, D Rafferty, R Sexton, J Colgan
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