Allianz Football League Division 1: Donegal 2-14 Cork 1-7

By Chris McNulty 

Goals in either half by Martin O’Reilly and Odhrán Mac Niallais secured a comfortable 10-point win for Donegal against Cork in Ballyshannon.

Dominant Donegal made light work of the Rebels, with the goals giving Rory Gallagher’s team a comfortable cushion and a second win from their opening two League outings.
 
Patrick McBrearty and Ciaran Thompson started the ball rolling before a massive free, from around 50 metres, by Murphy stretched the margin and Donegal got the game’s opening goal on 13 minutes.
 
The move was Donegal at both their patient and penetrative best. Martin O’Reilly took a hand-off from Murphy and, after playing a clever one-two with Eoin McHugh, found himself eye-balling Brendan O’Connell, making his League debut in the Cork goal.
 
O’Reilly kept his cool and tucked his finish low past O’Connell right into the bottom corner.
 
By the time Daniel Goulding opened Cork’s account with a routine free in the 17thminute, Donegal looked well on their way, but the Rebels soon brought themselves right back into it.
 
Either side of a pair of Goulding frees, Cork got in for a goal when Hodnett slammed past Peter Boyle from close range.
 
Remarkably, Cork could have been level at that stage only for Brian Hurley having squandered two frees. This, despite Donegal having been utterly dominant in the opening exchanges.
 
Donegal shook their heads clear, though, to lead 1-9 to 1-3 at half-time with Mac Niallais brilliantly scoring two points and Anthony Thompson’s busy display marked by a brace.
 
Donegal made the win save when Mac Niallais cracked past O’Connell in the 53rd minute after Ryan McHugh’s searing pace took him deep into Cork territory.
 
The game was over as a contest at that stage, but Donegal twice came close to a third goal in the dying minutes.
McBrearty fired against the crossbar and O’Connell saved well from Mac Niallais.

Scorers for Donegal: O Mac Niallias 1-4, P McBrearty 0-4 (2f), M O’Reilly 1-1, A Thompson 0-2, M Murphy (f), F McGlynn, C Thompson 0-1 each
 
Scorers for Cork: D Goulding 0-5 (3f), D Hodnett 1-0, B O’Driscoll, M Collins 0-1 each
 
**DONEGAL: **P Boyle; E Doherty, N McGee, E McGee; P McGrath, A Thompson, R McHugh; H McFadden, M Murphy; E McHugh, F McGlynn, C Thompson; O Mac Niallais, P McBrearty, M O’Reilly. Subs: R Kavanagh for C.Thompson (37, black card), L McLoone for O’Reilly (53), M McElhinney for N.McGee (57), E Gallagher for Doherty (58), N Gallagher for McFadden (64), M Carroll for E.McHugh (65).
** **
**CORK: **B O’Connell; C O’Driscoll, J O’Sullivan, K Crowley; M Collins, B O’Driscoll, T Clancy; I Maguire, A O’Sullivan; R Deane, D Óg Hodnett, P Kerrigan; D Goulding, P Kelleher, B Hurley. Subs: B Daly for Crowley (h/t), D O’Connor for Deane (49), K O’Hanlon for Hodnett (57), C O’Neill for Hurley (64), Dan McEoin for Goulding (64).
** **
REFEREE: J McQuillan (Cavan)