Tones Wilt under Donegal Pressure
Donegal team that defeated the Wolfetones to qualify for Boston final
North Eastern Senior Championship Semi Final, Boston, MA Sunday August 18th
By Rory O’Donnell
Wolfe Tones 0-6 Donegal 1-15
Donegal advanced to the senior football final in impressive fashion with a resounding win over the Wolfe Tones. Donegal totally outclassed their opponents, who this scribe favoured, and in the end ran out easy winners. Donegal saw the return of Dualtach Molloy and Ciaran Bonner made a short reappearance, but had to leave the field due to injury. From the middle of the first half Donegal took control of the game and the Tones could not find their way back into it and surely will be thinking that they could have left more on the field by the time it was all over.
Donegal came out all guns blazing in the first half and worked themselves into an eight point lead over the first 30 minutes. Donegal were first to the ball in the back line and the forwards were one step ahead of their markers. The northerners played the ball well into the forward line and enjoyed plenty of possession from the midfield exchanges. The Wolfe Tones did well in the first quarter of the game, Jamie Murphy and Sean McVeigh pointed, each a fine score. Donegal proceeded to take over for the remainder of the half. The Tir Chonaill men scored nine points to a single point for the Tones in final 20 minutes of the half. Dualtach Molloy was a sure thing with free kicks and put four in a row over the bar. The Tones could not find room when in possession and when Donegal had the ball were searching for answers on how to stop their opponents. Eamon Murphy, Gareth Concar, and Ronan McNeilis also found the mark for Donegal.
The second half was a replay of the first, only worse from a Wolfe Tones perspective. Mick Sammon, who entered the fray as a sub, saw red as his challenge on Ciaran Bonner, who also came in for Donegal, was deemed worthy of a sending off. Dara Joyce put two early points over for the Tones, each a rousing score, but the Tones did not manage to raise themselves. Donegal continued to pick off the points, and a goal came from Concar to well and truly kill the game. Donegal advance to final with an impressive performance and a margin of victory that nobody could have expected. Doneagl now play Aidan MacAnespies in the championship final in what is sure to be an epic encounter. A place in the North American final awaits the winners.
Tones: W. O’Dowd, N. McKenna, D. Scullane, E. Hickson, T. Meagan, K. Gorham, J. Farrell, S. McVeigh, J. Murphy, D. Joyce, C. Farrell, M. Farrell, S. Kelly.
Donegal: N. O’Connell (Kildare), P. Witherow (St.Michaels), T. Maguire (Ardara), N. Hegarty (Kilcar), K. Cunningham (Kilcar), E. Wade (Glenties), R. McNeilis (Gweedore), D. McNulty (Fermanagh), D. Molloy (St. Eunans), E. Murphy (Kildare), K. Curran (Robert Emmets), G. Concarr (Ardara), D. Murphy(Tyrone) subs: C.Bonner (Glenswilly) for Wade, M McGinty (MacCumhaills) for Bonner, Paul Roper (Aodh Ruadh) for Hegarty, Sean Lee(Cavan), Ronan Diver (Gweedore)
Referee: Paddy Russell (Tipperary)
North Eastern Senior Championship Semi Final, Boston, MA Sunday August 18th
By Rory O’Donnell
Wolfe Tones 0-6 Donegal 1-15
Donegal advanced to the senior football final in impressive fashion with a resounding win over the Wolfe Tones. Donegal totally outclassed their opponents, who this scribe favoured, and in the end ran out easy winners. Donegal saw the return of Dualtach Molloy and Ciaran Bonner made a short reappearance, but had to leave the field due to injury. From the middle of the first half Donegal took control of the game and the Tones could not find their way back into it and surely will be thinking that they could have left more on the field by the time it was all over.
Donegal came out all guns blazing in the first half and worked themselves into an eight point lead over the first 30 minutes. Donegal were first to the ball in the back line and the forwards were one step ahead of their markers. The northerners played the ball well into the forward line and enjoyed plenty of possession from the midfield exchanges. The Wolfe Tones did well in the first quarter of the game, Jamie Murphy and Sean McVeigh pointed, each a fine score. Donegal proceeded to take over for the remainder of the half. The Tir Chonaill men scored nine points to a single point for the Tones in final 20 minutes of the half. Dualtach Molloy was a sure thing with free kicks and put four in a row over the bar. The Tones could not find room when in possession and when Donegal had the ball were searching for answers on how to stop their opponents. Eamon Murphy, Gareth Concar, and Ronan McNeilis also found the mark for Donegal.
The second half was a replay of the first, only worse from a Wolfe Tones perspective. Mick Sammon, who entered the fray as a sub, saw red as his challenge on Ciaran Bonner, who also came in for Donegal, was deemed worthy of a sending off. Dara Joyce put two early points over for the Tones, each a rousing score, but the Tones did not manage to raise themselves. Donegal continued to pick off the points, and a goal came from Concar to well and truly kill the game. Donegal advance to final with an impressive performance and a margin of victory that nobody could have expected. Doneagl now play Aidan MacAnespies in the championship final in what is sure to be an epic encounter. A place in the North American final awaits the winners.
Tones: W. O’Dowd, N. McKenna, D. Scullane, E. Hickson, T. Meagan, K. Gorham, J. Farrell, S. McVeigh, J. Murphy, D. Joyce, C. Farrell, M. Farrell, S. Kelly.
Donegal: N. O’Connell (Kildare), P. Witherow (St.Michaels), T. Maguire (Ardara), N. Hegarty (Kilcar), K. Cunningham (Kilcar), E. Wade (Glenties), R. McNeilis (Gweedore), D. McNulty (Fermanagh), D. Molloy (St. Eunans), E. Murphy (Kildare), K. Curran (Robert Emmets), G. Concarr (Ardara), D. Murphy(Tyrone) subs: C.Bonner (Glenswilly) for Wade, M McGinty (MacCumhaills) for Bonner, Paul Roper (Aodh Ruadh) for Hegarty, Sean Lee(Cavan), Ronan Diver (Gweedore)
Referee: Paddy Russell (Tipperary)
