| Donegal late show seals win
 By
David Thorpe
The hills of Donegal have been alive with talk of what the county football
team might do this year.
The Ulster side showed they have the bottle for the big occasion by deservedly
edging past Mayo after an eagerly contested clash at headquarters on Sunday
to pick up their first piece of silverware since 1992.
Brian McIvor’s young team have grown into men as the National League
has progressed looking fitter, tough-er and more confident with every
game.
This was far from a classic with both teams placing a premium on defence
but Donegal won’t mind.
Mayo manager John O’Mahony will be happy that his charges had the
resilience to twice level the match in the closing minutes while Donegal
fans will rejoice that their young team had the composure to claim the
county’s first-ever National League title with a trio of fine late
points.
Donegal’s forwards had the better of the first-half ex-changes with
wing-forward Brian Roper excellently taking advantage of the space in
front of him to rattle over two first-half points.
The talented Brendan Devenney, who had to be called ashore at half-time
with an injury, hit a fine score just before the interval to send the
Ulstermen into a 0-7 to 0-5 half-time lead.
Mayo’s best attacker was Andy Moran. He fought tirelessly for the
green-and-red and then had to watch as his colleagues missed the chan-ces
he created.
Conor Mortimer’s excellent free-taking kept Mayo in touch at the
break but generally they will have been thankful to have been trailing
by just two points.
The introduction of Kevin O’Neill beefed up the Mayo attack in the
second-half. O’Mahony’s men chipped away at Donegal’s
lead and drew level on 60 minutes thanks to a fine solo effort from Moran.
That would prove to be Mayo’s solitary second-half score from play
and three Donegal subs hit unanswered points in the dying minutes of the
game to ensure Donegal’s first trophy in 15 years.
Rory Kavanagh marauded down the wing and fired over from distance to make
it 0-11 to 0-10 then Eamonn McGee scored an almost identical point off
his left foot a minute later before the wily Adrian Sweeney swooped on
a bobbling ball, swivelled and fired the final point of the afternoon
to the delight of the sizeable Donegal contingent within Croke Park.
The final whistle was greeted with delight by Paddy McConigley —
the former London captain collecting a National title in his first season
back with his native county.
Across the Irish Sea in the clubhouse of McConigley’s former club
Tir Chonaill Gaels there were similar celebrations as the men from Donegal
sense that 2007 may be the year they go on to collect their second All-Ireland
title.
Is it a realistic ambition or a lofty flight of fancy? Time will tell
but for the near future the bonfires will burn brightly in the North West. |
