Driving out the demons

THE message to be taken from this impressive win, more emphatic than the scoreline suggests, is that the League title-holders Donegal have got their challenge for the All-Ireland SFC firmly back on track.

It still doesn’t exorcise the bad memory of the Ulster semi-final shock they got from Tyrone, but for players and management alike coasting to victory with relative ease — and achieving it through the power and skill of their play — was hugely encouraging.

Thanks to the excellence of goalkeeper Gary Connaughton, in saving a first-minute penalty and preventing a certain goal later, Westmeath were quite competitive for the opening 20 minutes. However, as Connaughton conceded afterwards, they were playing ‘catch-up’ after that.

“We were not winning enough ball around the field. We were chasing the game,’’ he stated.

Brendan Devenney, scorer of Donegal’s 55th minute goal, agreed that their overall performance was the best since the League final win over Mayo.

“There was a big knock-back from what happened against Tyrone, but we knew we were not that bad. I thought we controlled the game.”

Scores were level three times up to the 13th minute and while Donegal had missed other chances besides the penalty, they were more economical in their use of the ball in the second quarter. At the break they were in front 0-9 to 0-6 and Westmeath’s difficulties in attack continued on the resumption.

Boosted by a point within a minute of the restart, they waited over half our before their next score, while their goal came at the end of four minutes of injury time. And by then, the visitors were down to 13 men.

Meanwhile, Donegal’s industrious play, featuring some very good work from full-forward Michael Murphy and Devenney, among others, enabled them to open up a seven points lead after Devenney converted his penalty 15 minutes from the end of normal time. For McIver it was all smiles except for seeing late replacement Ciaran Bonner (a Trojan worker) and excellent wing-back Niall McCready both dismissed for second yellow card offences in the last ten minutes. Feeling that it was a game which didn’t merit any red cards, he added: “I just hope they don’t come back to haunt us later in the year!’’

Scorers: Donegal: Devenney 1-3 (0-2 frees); Kavanagh 0-3; McMenamin, Murphy 0-2 each; Bradley, McCready and Bonner 0-1 each. Westmeath: Flanagan 1-0; Dolan 0-3 (0-2 frees); Glennon 0-2; Mangan, Wilson and Ennis 0-1 each.

DONEGAL: Durcan; Lacey, Campbell, McGee; McGlynn, Monaghan, McCready; Gallagher (capt), Cassidy; Bradley, Bonner, Kavanagh; McMenamin, Murphy, Devenney.

Subs: Sweeney for McMenamin (57); Toye for Bradley (59); McGee for Campbell; McConigley for McGlynn (68); Doherty for Devenney (69).

WESTMEATH: Connaughton; Healy, O’Donoghue, Keane; Boyle, Ennis, Glennon; Duffy, Flanagan; Wilson, Smyth, Glennon; Mangan, G Dolan, D Dolan (capt.).

Subs: Connellan for Mangan (34); Gavin for Healy (inj, 41); O’Shaughnessy for Wilson (46); Rigney for Glennon (51); Tormey for Duffy (60).

Referee: A Mangan (Kerry).