Wasteful Cork let Donegal take charge

Donegal 3-11 Cork 1-7

Such is the schizophrenic nature of these sides, it's hard to know if the tussle the paltry crowd witnessed is any indication of what lies ahead. This game had all the markings of a meaningless league game, even if Cork came to Ballyshannon with a technical chance of reaching the play-offs.

In the final twenty minutes of the match, Brendan Devanney showed some bygone form, creating two goals before finishing this game with a lovely finish in the 70th minute. Brian Roper also nailed three impressive points, including a superb individual effort in the 61st minute.

So, after relegation, there is a little hope for Donegal.

At least, the home side decided to puff out their chest a little in the second half. Had the game continued in the vein of the first half, there would have been very few left watching the match by the end. A lack of urgency, from both sides, characterised that period, only the talent of James Masters rising above the tedium.

Cork were equally lethargic in the second half, although missing four glorious goal chances in the space of ten minutes, as Cork did in the first half, would rattle the confidence of any team. Those missed chances, although a couple were down to superb goal-keeping from Sean Boylan, and Nicholas Murphy's injury in the 25th minute, ensured Cork were a shell of the side that trounced Dublin.

Still, there was, at least, one positive from the first half-the display of Masters who nailed 1-2 of Cork's half-time total of 1-4. His, and Cork's, first score in the 4th minute, was a beauty, a massive kick from all of 50 yards out that split the posts.

Colin Crowley also scored two points in the first half, but it was Masters' performance that caught the eye. His 28th minute goal was about the only thrilling thing to happen in the first half. Making a clever run behind the half-back line, Masters received a lovely pass from Cormac McCarthy into his chest, make space for himself and speared the ball into the roof of Boylan's net.

Brian McEniff used the afternoon for a bit of experimentation, but it's unlikely that playing without a full-back line was one of the experiments. That is what Donegal seemed to do in the first half, allowing Cork five goal chances.

That they only availed of one will furrow Billy Morgan's brow for the next couple of months.

Donegal only managed four points in the first half. They were a team playing with a relegation mind-set, like they wanted to forget the spring.

"I wanted to see some pride and passion from the boys in the second half," McEniff said after the match, and that is what he saw.

Christy Toye, in an unusual role at midfield, got the ball rolling with a lovely point in the 38th minute.

Adrian Sweeney followed it up soon afterwards and then a most bizarre moment. Kevin McMahon thought he had nailed Cork's first score of the second half in the 42nd minute, and a fine effort it was too. However, John Bannon noticed Cork had 16 players on the field, Anthony Lynch after being yellow carded hadn't left before Ger Spillane, his replacement, ran on.

The point was disallowed and from the resultant throw-ball, Devanney skinned Dermot Duggan, spotted Sweeney making a run to Kevin Murphy's far side, and played a slick pass into Sweeney's path. The Donegal full-forward fisted the ball into the net and from being in a position of being 1-5 to 0-6 down, Donegal were suddenly 1-6 to 1-4 up.

After that, Donegal dominated. Roper was electric and scored three wonderful points in a ten-minute spell. Devanney, who had looked devoid of confidence for most of the game, was suddenly willing to run at his marker.

Donegal played some excellent football in the second half, and it was the timely boost McEniff wanted.

"Pride was all we had to play for, but it was frustrating to watch the sort of football we played in the second half, because we could have been challenging for the play-offs rather than facing relegation."

But, the last game of the campaign will provide much more encouragement for Donegal supporters than it will for Cork fans.

Morgan said afterwards: "We have played some good football in the league, but it's not good to end on this note with our most disappointing display. There has still been a lot of positives to take from this campaign."

Not too many of them yesterday, with the exception of James Masters. Next time we see Cork, it won't be the season for scoring one in every five goal chances.

Scorers: Donegal: B Devanney(1-2, 2 frees), A Sweeney(1-2), C McFadden(1-2, 2 frees), B Roper(0-3), M Hegarty, C Toye(0-1 each); Cork: J Masters (1-2), C Crowley (0-2, 1 free), D Hurley, C McCarthy, S Levis(0-1 each)

DONEGAL: S Boylan; E McGee, R Sweeney, E Reddin, K Lacey, B Monaghan, K Cassidy; N Gallagher, C Toye; R Kavanagh, M Hegarty, B Roper, C McFadden, B Devanney, A Sweeney.

Subs: S Carr for Reddin (yellow card) 43 mins, S McDermott for Kavanagh 52 mins, K Sharkey for Boylan (yellow card) 53 mins, P McNulty for Sweeney 62 mins.

CORK: K Murphy; S O'Brien, D Duggan, K O'Connor, E Sexton, A Lynch, Martin Cronin; N Murphy, S Levis; J Masters, C McCarthy, A Cronin, P Clifford, B G O'Sullivan, C Crowley Subs K McMahon for Murphy (inj) 26 mins, G Spillane for Lynch (yellow card) 41 mins, Michael Cronin for Clifford (45 mins), D Hurley for Cronin (59 mins) Ref J Bannon (Longford).