O'Baoill's goals help Donegal to emphatic win over Fermanagh
PERFECT LEAGEUE START: Ryan McHugh of Donegal during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Donegal and Fermanagh at O'Donnell Park in Letterkenny, Donegal. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
It took them a little while to find their groove, but Daire O Baoill powered Donegal to an ultimately emphatic derby win over Fermanagh.
O Baoill scored two second-half goals in a 14-point win in Letterkenny to maintain Donegal's perfect start in Division 2 in front of 3,846.
The rain chugged down upon the umbrellas in the Cathedral Town, where the clinical O'Baoill outscored Fermanagh to give Donegal a rare win at this venue - this represented only a second win in their last nine visits.
Donegal led by a point, 0-6 to 0-5, at the break before half-time subs Mark Curran and Jeaic Mac Ceallabhui lit the fuse at the outset of part two.
Donegal assumed real command when O Baoill took advantage with Ross Bogue, the Fermanagh goalkeeper caught in an eircode other than his goalmouth.
With Bogue valiantly scrambling back, O Baoill's lofted effort from 40 metres went inside the far post to give Donegal a 1-8 to 0-6 advantage.
Just three minutes later, O Baoill was inches from repeating the trick. This time, though, Josh Largo-Ellis was on hand to save under the crossbar.
O Baoill put the game firmly beyond the reach of Fermanagh in the 49th minute. Again, Donegal broke at pace and the Gaoth Dobhair man playing a neat exchange with Ryan McHugh before rolling home.
Donegal, with the injured Eoghan Ban Gallagher unable to take a spot in the match day squad, posted a trio of wides in the opening quarter-of-an-hour.
Fermanagh made some early hay with Sean Cassidy giving them something to hold onto in the opening passages.
Having taken three points from their opening two outings, Fermanagh shook of the relegation-favourites' tag and arrived in Letterkenny – a venue that hasn't been a happy home for Donegal's footballers – with their tails up.
O Baoill thumped over from the right-hand side for Donegal's first score in the 12th minute. It might well have roused the home crowd, but Donegal were still slow to stir, their wide count rising to seven by the time Fergal Kelly blew the half-time whistle.
A pointed mark by captain Patrick McBrearty and a converted Oisin Gallen free kept the deficit at the minimum.
O Baoill hit a second monster score before Gallen tucked over a 28th minute free that finally put the hosts into the lead.
With the sky going from grey to black, Conor McGee curled over to level matters only for O Baoill's third point of the day given Donegal the ever-so-slender 0-6 to 0-5 lead as Fergal Kelly shrilled for half-time.
In the 29 minutes between Fermanagh's first and second points of the second half, Donegal registered 2-7.
Shane McGullion might have goaled for the Erne men in the 57th minute, but skewed wide and Donegal eased their way to victory.
: D O Baoill 2-3; P McBrearty (1m), O Gallen (2f) 0-3 each;, J Mac Ceallabhui, A Doherty 0-2 each; M Curran, M Langan, P Mogan 0-1 each.
: S Cassidy 0-3, 1m, 1f; D McCusker (m), B Horan, C McGee, D King, T Bogue (1f) 0-1 each.
: S Patton; K McGettigan, B McCole, S McMenamin; R McHugh, C Moore, D O Baoill; C Thompson, C McGonagle; P Mogan, O Doherty, M Langan; P McBrearty, O Gallen, J Brennan.
: M Curran for McGettigan (h-t), A Doherty for Brennan (h-t), J Mac Ceallabhui for Thompson (38), L McGlynn for O.Doherty (57), D Mac Giolla Bhride for Langan (63).
: R Bogue; L Cullen, C Cullen, O Smyth; D McCusker, S McGullion, J Largo-Ellis; B Horan, Joe McDade; C McGee, R McCaffrey, C McShea; U Kelm, G Jones, S Cassidy.
: T Bogue for McCaffrey (53), D King for Jones (53), C McManus for Largo-Ellis (53), C Jones for Horan (61), J McMahon for McShea (70+2).
: F Kelly (Longford).
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