Hurling: Profitable begin for Donegal in Nicky Rackard Cup marketing campaign

Fermanagh made Donegal work very laborious to win this opening sport within the Nicky Rackard Cup.

The guests had been lowered to 14 gamers with the sending off of Brian Teehan within the twenty ninth minute however had been nonetheless very a lot on this sport with ten minutes left.

By Charlie Collins at O’Donnell Park

It was solely then that Donegal , who had trailed by 5 early within the second-half , had been in a position to draw back with Declan Coulter firing over the ultimate 4 factors of the match to see them safely via to victory.

These groups had very contrasting league marketing campaign, with Donegal reaching a Division 2B league ultimate earlier than dropping out to Meath in a intently contested encounter, whereas Fermanagh had been relegated from Division 3A after ending in backside spot.

Nonetheless, regardless of selecting up solely three factors out of a doable ten, the truth that their rating distinction was only-2 confirmed that they had been nicely in competition in all of the video games they misplaced.

On account of an unlucky run of accidents and non-availability of gamers throughout their marketing campaign, the Donegal administration crew had been in a position to take a look at various their youthful squad members and so they didn’t disappoint.

With robust away fixtures in opposition to Armagh and Roscommon to comply with this opening championship problem, a win was a precedence for the house crew.

Not surprisingly crew supervisor Mickey McCann included the skilled trio of Stephen Gillespie, Danny Cullen and Declan Coulter within the beginning lineup. all three had missed a lot of the latter phases of the league marketing campaign.

The scores flew over within the opening six minutes , 4 for Donegal from Declan Coulter , Danny Cullen and two from LiamMcKinney and three for Fermanagh from Danann McKeogh , Luca McCusker and J P McGarry .

And the factors stored coming as we reached the fifteen minute mark with Donegal 0-06 to 0-04 forward as Ronan McDermott and McKinney added factors and Sean Corrigan replied for Fermanagh .

From that time Fermanagh took command and rattled over six factors in a row to guide 0-10 to 0-06 , two every from Luca McCurker and Daniel Teague and one every from Sean Corrigan and Brian Teehan .

Then within the twenty fifth minute an enormous blow for the guests as Brian Teehan obtained a straight purple card after referee James Choose had consulted together with his umpires.

Donegal fired over three fast factors in response to this from Danny Cullen , Daire O Maoileidigh and Jack O Loughlin to depart only one between them 0-09 to 0-10 to Fermanagh.

The guests regarded in a little bit of bother however responded brillantly with two factors from Luca McCusker and one from Sean Corrigan to guide by 4 on the break , 0-13 to 0-09 leaving Donegal with all of it to do within the second-half.

Luca McCusker added his fifth free and sixth level to make it a 5 level . Donegal wanted one thing to occur and it did , as they had been awarded a sideline ball which Fermanagh felt ought to have been theirs . Declan Coulter fired it throughout the goalmouth and Liam McKinney after a little bit of a juggle fired the sliotar excessive into the online, 1-09 to 0-14.

McCusker replied with a free however Donegal added three fast factors from Luke White , Ruairi Campbell and Declan Coulter to stage it up 1-12 to 0-015.

McCusker put Fermanagh forward once more from one other free , Coulter and sub Conor Gartland replied however Daniel Teague levelled it up once more. Ruairi Campbell despatched over a cracker from out vast however once more Luca McCusker transformed , his ninth level , 1-15 to 0-018 and 6 minutes left.

From there Donegal took over , Gerry Gilmore put them forward , Liam McKinney made it two together with his sixth level after which Declan Coulter despatched over 4 in a row , three from play to make it a six level sport and the factors secured however solely after an actual scare in opposition to a gallant Fermanagh who performed so lengthy with solely fourteen gamers, , ultimate rating 1-21 to 0-18points.

Donegal: Luke White (0-01), Stephen McBride , Michael Donaghue, Padraig Doherty , Danny Cullen (0-02), Jack O Loughlin (0-01), Christopher McDermott , Stephen Gillespie , Brian McIntyre , Declan Coulter (0-06), Liam McKinney ( 1-06), Ronan McDermott (0-01), Ritchie Ryan , Daire O’Maoileidigh (0-01), Ruairi Campbell (0-02), Subs ; Bernard Lafferty and Conor Gartland (0-01), for O Maoileidigh and Gillespie ( each h/t), Gerry Gilmore (0-01) for Ryan , Gavin Browne for McBride ,

Fermanagh: Mark Curry , Dylan Bannon , Rory Porteous, Odhran Johnston , Aiden Flanagan , Ryan Bogue, Daniel Teague (0-03) , Caolan Duffy , Ciaran Duffy , Luca McCusker 0-09/8f’s), Sean Corrigan (0-03), J.P. McGarry (0-01), Danann McKeogh (0-01), Francis McBrien , Brian Teehan (0-01).
Subs used: Ronan McGurn for Flanagan (9mins), Ben Corrigan for McKeogh (43mins), Ciaran Breslin for Johnston, Ultan O Reilly for McGurn.

Referee ; James Choose ( Mayo ).

Hurling: Profitable begin for Donegal in Nicky Rackard Cup marketing campaign was final modified: April sixteenth, 2023 by Workers Author