Donegal U-20s make it two wins from two with a comfortable victory over Fermanagh

Donegal U-20s recorded a fine 11-point victory over Fermanagh in MacCumhaill Park on Wednesday night to make it two wins from two in the Ulster Championship. 

The opening half was a closely contested affair, with the home outfit heading into the break with a four-point cushion. However, Donegal’s class showed in the second stanza as they found an extra gear to seal the win. 

The hosts got off to a quick start in this encounter, with Seanan Carr firing over from a mark after just two minutes. 

Fermanagh responded immediately, however, as Michael Burns pointed for his side. The Donegal men hit back with two successive scores from Patrick McElwee and Finbarr Roarty to put two points between the teams.

On 12 minutes, the deficit was cut in half as Diarmuid Owens fired over a nice point for the Erne County. 

On the quarter hour mark, Donegal found the target with Luke McGlynn landing a fantastic score from distance. With the next attack they pointed again, this time through a well-taken Patrick McElwee mark to push the lead to three. 

On 18 minutes, Fermanagh’s Conor O’Hanlon slotted over a great free for Maurice McLaughlin’s side to narrow the gap.

After 23 minutes, KJ Molloy stroked a free between the posts to restore the host’s three-point lead. Two minutes later the Ardara native found the white flag again, this time through a mark. 

Fermanagh replied immediately with a good score through Owens, landing his second of the evening. 

On the 27-minute mark, Oisin Caulfield was at the end of a good team move by Donegal to fire the ball between the posts and leave Shaun Paul Barrett’s men 0-8 to 0-4 ahead at the break. 

The hosts came out after the interval and extended their advantage courtesy of McElwee who fired over a fantastic score from range. 

This was soon cancelled out though, with the impressive Owens kicking over a fine curling effort. 

Shaun Paul Barrett’s men found an extra gear from this point on though as McGlynn landed a 46th minute free to push the lead back to five. 

On 50 minutes, the Donegal men landed a super three-pointer. Smart-thinking from McElwee, saw him play a quick into the path of Carr. 

The Four Masters lad passed to Caulfield who fisted the ball back across the goal to McElwee, who slammed home from close range. 

Shortly afterwards, Fermanagh had a goal change of their own. A long ball found substitute Mattie McDermott who shot goalwards but his effort was saved superbly by the feet of Damien McGowan. 

Donegal saw out the game well, kicking over three consecutive scores. The first of these came from Caulfield who fired over the bar after a fine solo-run. 

Two further scores from the boots of Karl Magee and McGlynn in the dying embers sealed an impressive victory for Barrett’s side, who now have a massive clash with Armagh in two weeks’ time. 

Donegal scorers: Patrick McElwee 1-3, 1m; Luke McGlynn 0-3,1f; KJ Molloy 0-2, 1f, 1m; Oisin Caulfield 0-2; Seanan Carr 0-1, 1m; Finbarr Roarty 0-1; Karl Magee 0-1.

Fermanagh scorers: Diarmuid Owens 0-3; Conor O’Hanlon 0-1; Michael Burns 0-1.

Donegal: Damien McGowan; Cormac Gallagher, Finbarr Roarty, Karl Magee; Finn Coll, Oisin Caulfield, Sean Martin; Conor Reid, Shaun Ward; Conor McGinty, Luke McGlynn, Seanan Carr; Eoghan Kelly, Patrick McElwee, KJ Molloy. 

Subs: Cian McMenamin for Gallagher (44), Kevin Lynch for Molloy (52), Adam McGeever for Reid (52), Daithi Gildea for Carr (52), Luke Clerkin for Coll (59). 

Fermanagh: Conall Maguire; Cal McAnespie, Liam MacEnrí, Adam Callaghan; Jamie McCaffrey, Shaun McCarron, Michael Burns; Jarlath Flanagan, Lughaidh Donnelly; Cian O’Brien, Conor O’Hanlon, Diarmuid Owens; Jack Quinlan, Sean Conlon, Keelan Fitzpatrick. 

Subs: Damien Óg Kelly for Flanagan (Ht), Mattie McDermott for Fitzpatrick (Ht), Caolan Brennan for McCaffrey (42), Shay Deazley for Burns (52), Landry Feely for O’Brien (57). 

Referee: Diarmuid Boylan (Monaghan)