Donegal outclass Fermanagh

Paul Brewster (right) tries to hold Donegal's John Gildea

All-Ireland Football Qualifier:
Fermanagh 1-6 0-15 Donegal

Fermanagh's season of promise ended in complete disarray when they were hammered by Donegal in the third championship meeting between the sides in six weeks.

The final score had only six points between the teams but it was a highly flattering result for the outclassed Ernesiders who had beaten Donegal in the Ulster Championship.

Amazingly, Fermanagh failed to score in the opening half with Donegal in contrast, rattling up nine points.

Donegal did what they have to do but it was against a Fermanagh time which produced a quite awful display.

Fermanagh main tactic of lumping in long balls towards their full-forward line was hopelessly misguided.

Particularly given that the forwards didn't seem up for the task of scrapping for possession.

We're not world-beaters but we're getting there

  Mickey Moran

The direct approach completely cut out ball-players such as Tom Brewster from the game.

In the middle-third of the field, Fermanagh won virtually no break ball with the Donegal midfielders and half-lines totally dominating their contests.

Inevitably there was talk afterwards of whether John Maughan might jump off the Fermanagh ship but county PRO Peter Cassidy told BBC Sport Online that he expected the Mayo man to remain at the helm.

There was never going to be any way back for Maughan's team after their dismal first half showing.

While they did manage to hit the target in the second half on seven occasions, Donegal still held control of the proceedings.

Donegal also hit more than a dozen wides in the hour - many of which from eminently scoreable positions as the Fermanagh defence unaccountably stood off their men.

Apart from some errant shooting, Mickey Moran's only complaint with his troops must have been the silly dismissal of Brian Roper in the closing seconds.

Brendan Devenney is challenged by Sean Burns

Roper was giving a straight red-card after getting involved in a melee and he will be suspended for Donegal's next championship match.

Fermanagh produced a couple of surprises before the start with Shane King and Kieran Donnelly dropping to the bench and Barry Owens and Brendan McBrien instead starting.

The changes, if they were indeed tactical, didn't come off with King and Donnelly themselves introduced before the end of Fermanagh's first half horror show.

Michael Hegarty strode through the Fermanagh defence in the opening seconds to fist Donegal ahead.

The tactic of running directly at the heart of the Fermanagh backline was repeated to great effect throughout the opening period.

A key early moment for Fermanagh came in the sixth minute when Stephen Maguire missed a goal chance.

But it was a rare Fermanagh foray into the Donegal defence.

By the 12th minute, Donegal led 0-4 to 0-0 after Adrian Sweeney, Brendan Devenney and Roper had all pointed.

Damien Diver charges past Neil Cox

There then followed a 13-minute period when no scores were claimed although Donegal continued to boss the contest.

Rory Gallagher did have a great chance to open Fermanagh's account in the 20th minute but brilliant defensive work by Paddy Campbell snuffed out the opportunity.

Sweeney's second point of the match extended Donegal's lead to five in the 25th minute.

More than five minutes of first half added-time because of an injury that caused Owens to be stretchered off, piled on the agony for Fermanagh.

Amazingly, the teams trooped off with Donegal nine points clear with the superb Devenney adding the visitors' final point of the half.

Fermanagh needed immediate scores in the second period and Rory Gallagher did open his team's account two minutes after the break.

I always thought that we had a forward line capable of rattling up a decent score

  Brendan Devenney

But the excellent Devenney replied immediately for Donegal and one sensed Fermanagh didn't have the conviction to entertain hopes of a comeback.

By end of the third quarter, Donegal had maintained the nine-point advantage of the interval - at 0-12 to 0-3.

The teams went point for point in the closing stages and Mark O'Donnell's goal deep into injury-time put a respectability on the scoreboard which Fermanagh didn't deserve.

Donegal introduced Tony Boyle late on and he hit Donegal's final point of the match with a superb effort.

Donegal manager Mickey Moran expressed delight with his team's performance although he acknowledged that the dismissal of Roper had somewhat soured the victory.

"We're not world-beaters but we're getting there.

Brian Roper gets his red card

"We worked very hard and I want to especially pick out John Gildea who slogged his guts out even though he will won't be available for us for the rest of the championship.

"I want to pay tribute to John. He has been very upfront with me about his plans to go to America and we will support him in whatever decision he takes now," said Moran.

Brendan Devenney, who had notched six points, said Donegal had needed the win "badly".

"I always thought this year that we had a forward line capable of rattling up a decent score but we had to go out and actually do it.

"There's still a lot of room for improvement. We missed a lot of chances today," added Devenney.

In Saturday's other match in the All-Ireland Qualifying competition, Westmeath defeated Wexford 1-16 to 1-8.

Donegal, meanwhile, defeated Antrim 4-5 to 2-5 in the Ulster Junior Hurling Final also played at Enniskillen on Saturday.

Scorers: Fermanagh - M O'Donnell (1-0), Rory Gallagher and K Donnelly (both 0-2), P Brewster and L McBarron (both 0-1).
Donegal - B Devenney (0-6), A Sweeney (0-4), B Roper (0-3), M Hegarty and T Boyle (both 0-1).