Missed opportunities so costly, says rueful Bonner

Declan Bonner was left to rue the missed opportunities he believes hampered any chance of his side reaching a first All-Ireland semi-final in five seasons.

The Ulster champions were stunted by Mayo in front of 27,023 supporters in Castlebar.

Donegal were at sixes and sevens towards the end of the first half, going in six down at the break — 1-7 to 0-4 — although had faced into a pretty stern wind.

“You can’t afford to kick the wides we kicked in the second half and get a result at this level, and that’s disappointing,” a dejected Bonner said afterwards.

“It is hugely disappointing. We have been scoring all season and they were decent chances — not just one or two. We missed four or five times...we had eight wides in the second half, which was disappointing.”

Mayo conceded the first two scores in the rain, but their energy levels and physicality turned the first half on its head. They mopped up a litany of loose balls as Donegal were second to most of them. Donegal did seem to be putting that right, though, as the second half took shape.

“They were picking up a lot of breaks but I thought that we got it under control in the second half and started with real momentum,” Bonner added. “The penalty brought us right back into it. But it wasn’t to be, and it’s a disappointing way to go out of the championship.”

Last year, Bonner’s Donegal were on the cusp of a place in the last four of the All-Ireland series.

Unbeaten in Ballybofey in league and championship for eight years, they squandered a four-point lead in the final quarter as Tyrone ran out 2-17 to 1-13 winners. So, 2019 has mirrored 2018 – an Ulster title followed by elimination in the Super 8s. Five into four doesn’t go.

“It is fairly raw at the minute and will be raw for a good few weeks,” Bonner added.

“But we will get a chance to sit down and look back at it. The lads will be bitterly disappointed because we just didn’t perform, that is the bottom line and we are not going to make any excuses. We wish Mayo all the best in the All-Ireland semi-final.”

Bonner refused to be drawn into the specifics of the loss against Mayo. Although Mayo were coming out on top in a majority of the duels, he still believed that the chances passed up were the major source of hindrance.

“Match ups…it is not about a number of individuals. It has always been about the group. Those boys were well marshaled at times but it didn’t boil down to that, we still had opportunities in the second half which we didn’t take.”

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