Dublin 1-10 Donegal 0-7, NFL - 26/03/16
Dublin made it six out of six in the Allianz National Football League with a 1-10 to 0-7 victory over Donegal on Saturday evening. In an at times tetchy affair, the Dubs led at half time by a point, 0-5 to 0-4. And it took them until the final ten minutes, after Michael Murphy and James McCarthy had been sent off, for Jim Gavin's charges to pull away.
Donegal nearly opened the scoring with ninety seconds on the clock, but Michael Savage did well to scramble the ball off his goal line.
Murphy was given a yellow card for a high one on John Small a couple of minutes later, before the Croke Park crowd paid their respects to those who tragically lost their lives in Buncrana during the week with a minute's applause.
The opening ten minutes were scrappy, and Dublin kicked their chances wide, through Paul Flynn and Bernard Brogan. When the opening score did finally come in the eleventh minute, it was Murphy who kicked it over off his left after a powerful run.
Dublin responded almost immediately as Cormac Costello atoned for an earlier miss, from a short free, to pull Dublin level. And Kevin McManamon had Dublin ahead for the first time in the fifteenth minute as he worked himself nicely into some space, before putting it over with his left.
Dublin could have had a goal in the nineteenth minute as Brogan tried to play the ball into Paddy Andrews. But the home team had to settle for another pointed free from Costello.
Forty seconds later, the corner-forward had a glorious chance to give Dublin some breathing space after Brian Fenton put him in space in front of the Donegal goal, but he blasted the effort to the left and wide.
Donegal responded through Eamon McGee after some slow build up play, to trail by the minimum with twenty-five minutes on the clock, and a fine Rory Kavanagh score had the teams level once again in the twenty-eighth minute.
But anything Kavanagh did, McManamon could do better. The full-forward kicked a classy long range point to put Dublin immediately back in front.
Patrick McBrearty And Ciarán Kilkenny traded points in the final minutes of the half to leave the home side ahead at the break.
Donegal opened the second-half scoring in the thirty-ninth minute, as McBrearty equalised from a free after Odhran MacNiallais had been fouled.
And MacNiallas had the Tír Chonaill men ahead soon afterwards, before Dean Rock pulled the sides level at six-apiece after forty-five minutes. Dublin then showed the composure that had seen them win their previous five games in the league as Andrews kicked them back in front.
A poor tackle from Murphy in the forty-ninth minute led to a flare up, and referee Conor Lane sent off both Murphy, then and James McCarthy for his reaction. Within ninety seconds, Eric Lowndes and Johnny Cooper were also yellow carded by Lane. The altercations fired up the crowd, and Dublin extended their lead via a Fenton point from play; he might have had a goal.
Costello then scored a great point from play, to push Dublin three ahead for the first time after fifty-seven minutes.
And although the next score went to Donegal, via McBrearty, Rory Gallagher's side looked somewhat rudderless without Murphy. Dublin turned the screw in the final ten minutes. McManamon scored a point before setting up Phily McMahon to bury the ball to the net, and with it Donegal's challenge in this game.
An edited version of this article appeared on the FM104 Sport website.
Donegal nearly opened the scoring with ninety seconds on the clock, but Michael Savage did well to scramble the ball off his goal line.
Murphy was given a yellow card for a high one on John Small a couple of minutes later, before the Croke Park crowd paid their respects to those who tragically lost their lives in Buncrana during the week with a minute's applause.
The opening ten minutes were scrappy, and Dublin kicked their chances wide, through Paul Flynn and Bernard Brogan. When the opening score did finally come in the eleventh minute, it was Murphy who kicked it over off his left after a powerful run.
Dublin responded almost immediately as Cormac Costello atoned for an earlier miss, from a short free, to pull Dublin level. And Kevin McManamon had Dublin ahead for the first time in the fifteenth minute as he worked himself nicely into some space, before putting it over with his left.
Dublin could have had a goal in the nineteenth minute as Brogan tried to play the ball into Paddy Andrews. But the home team had to settle for another pointed free from Costello.
Forty seconds later, the corner-forward had a glorious chance to give Dublin some breathing space after Brian Fenton put him in space in front of the Donegal goal, but he blasted the effort to the left and wide.
Donegal responded through Eamon McGee after some slow build up play, to trail by the minimum with twenty-five minutes on the clock, and a fine Rory Kavanagh score had the teams level once again in the twenty-eighth minute.
But anything Kavanagh did, McManamon could do better. The full-forward kicked a classy long range point to put Dublin immediately back in front.
Patrick McBrearty And Ciarán Kilkenny traded points in the final minutes of the half to leave the home side ahead at the break.
Donegal opened the second-half scoring in the thirty-ninth minute, as McBrearty equalised from a free after Odhran MacNiallais had been fouled.
And MacNiallas had the Tír Chonaill men ahead soon afterwards, before Dean Rock pulled the sides level at six-apiece after forty-five minutes. Dublin then showed the composure that had seen them win their previous five games in the league as Andrews kicked them back in front.
A poor tackle from Murphy in the forty-ninth minute led to a flare up, and referee Conor Lane sent off both Murphy, then and James McCarthy for his reaction. Within ninety seconds, Eric Lowndes and Johnny Cooper were also yellow carded by Lane. The altercations fired up the crowd, and Dublin extended their lead via a Fenton point from play; he might have had a goal.
Costello then scored a great point from play, to push Dublin three ahead for the first time after fifty-seven minutes.
And although the next score went to Donegal, via McBrearty, Rory Gallagher's side looked somewhat rudderless without Murphy. Dublin turned the screw in the final ten minutes. McManamon scored a point before setting up Phily McMahon to bury the ball to the net, and with it Donegal's challenge in this game.
An edited version of this article appeared on the FM104 Sport website.
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