Donegal 4-14; Monaghan 0-11
Forget the real thing of high summer - let’s just look forward to the dress rehearsal this coming weekend!
Last weekend’s McKenna Cup action saw Jim McGuinness and Mickey Harte advance to meet each other as Donegal take on Derry in the final.
Ever since the appointment of these top two managers were announced in the autumn, GAA fans, particularly those in Ulster, were wondering would they be the dominant duo when the provincial series came to pass next summer?
This weekend, we will get a preview of what to expect, as McGuinness’s rejuvenated Donegal routed Monaghan by 15 points in one semi-final while Harte’s Derry boys went into Armagh’s backyard and emerged victorious by four points.
It all leads to a mouth-watering pre-season tournament denouement before a ball has been kicked in anger either in the league or championship in ‘24.
McGuinness’s return to his native Donegal for a second coming has already reenergized Tir Conaill supporters, especially as they routed Monaghan in Castleblayney with tell-tale signs that the green and gold will outrun and probably out maneuver most teams once the curtain goes up on the big competitions.
Yes, there may be no Michael Murphy up front as many hoped would happen, but the way Donegal dismantled the Farney defense, you could not but admire how the manager has already motivated his charges.
They could have ended the game with half a dozen goals; instead they were happy to strike for four thanks strikes by Oisin Gallen with a brace, one from a penalty, and the other goals from Odhran Doherty and Ronan Frain.
Gallen was the star turn with 2-4 to his name, 1-3 compressed into a six-minute cameo that had the crowd mesmerized by the quality of his finishing. And all that scoring from one man came in the first half because it was obvious by the interval when the visitors led by 3-9 to 0-3 that the second half would merely be a procession.
Monaghan stepped up their performance on the changeover and sub Stephen Mooney led something of a minor fightback by shooting eight points in that moiety, two from play.
By then Donegal were happy to keep the scoreboard ticking over with skipper Patrick McBrearty and fellow veteran Ryan McHugh finding their range among others before sub Ronan Frain rounded off the goalfest.
Donegal: S Patton; D MacGiolla Bhríde, S McMenamin, M Curran; R McHugh (0-1), C McGonagle, J McKelvey; O Caulfield (0-1), C Moore; O Doherty (1-0), C Thompson, S O’Donnell (0-1); P McBrearty (captain), ( 0-1), O Gallen (2-4, 1-0 pen, 0-1f, 0-1m), J Brennan (0-3) Subs: L McGlynn (0-1) for Gallen (ht); P Mogan for McMenamin (45); R Frain (1-0) for O’Donnell (47); R O’Donnell for Doherty (51); A Doherty for McBrearty, K Molloy (0-2f) for Thompson (both 57); D Roberts for Patton (63)
Monaghan: D McDonnell; K Loughran, K Lavelle, R O’Toole; K Sheridan, C Lennon, C McCarthy; M McCarville, G Mohan (0-1); J Wilson, S O’Hanlon (captain), B McBennett (0-1); D Garland, S Jones, J Irwin Subs: S Mooney (0-8, 0-6f) for Jones (inj, 2); D McElearney for McCarthy (inj, 14); D Treanor for Lennon, T McPhillips for O’Toole, A Woods for Garland, M Hamill for Wilson (all ht); B Walker for Lavelle (45); F Hughes for Mohan, C McNulty (0-1) for McBennett (both 51); J McCarron for O’Hanlon (56).Ref: M Loughran (Tyrone).
Derry 0-17; Armagh 2-7
Mickey Harte knows January fare can often mislead further down the line but by heavens he must be happy with the response he has got from his Derry squad since arriving late last year.
The Ulster champions of the past two years already seem to have found a new gear under the former Tyrone triple All Ireland final winner and by winning more easily than the four-point scoreline suggests last Saturday in Armagh, they underlined their caliber for the 2024 season.
After working with the willing but limited material in Louth for the previous three years, it must be something of an early New Year present for the veteran manager to see the likes of Shane McGuigan shoot the lights out with ten points to this credit at the Athletic Grounds.
Derry booked their place in the Dr McKenna Cup final with a four-point victory over Armagh at the Box-IT Athletic Grounds on Saturday. Those scores, two from play, meant Derry had more than a bit to spare even when host cornerback Sean Conlon shot a goal to put his team ahead in the first quarter and make the game more of a contest. McGuigan reeled off three fine points to make it even at the break. And then when we reached the business end of the fray, Harte’s boys kicked on and were worthy winners despite conceding a second goal in the second half.
Derry will no doubt enjoy having a tilt at Donegal this weekend before their opening league game against Kerry.
Derry: O Lynch; D Baker, E McEvoy, (0-01), C McKaigue; C Doherty (0-01), G McKinless, P McGrogan (0-01); D Higgins (0-01), B Rogers; D Gilmore, D Cassidy, P Cassidy (0-01); B McCarron, S McGuigan (0-10, 0-08fs), Cormac Murphy (0-02) Subs: N Loughlin for Cassidy (46), N Toner for McCarron (46), R Forbes for Higgins (67), N O’Donnell for Murphy (72).
Armagh: B Hughes; T McCormack, C Higgins, S Conlon (1-01); C Mackin, N Rowland, M Shields; B Crealey (1-01), C O’Neill; C O’Hanlon (0-01, 0-01 mark), J Sheridan, J Kieran (0-01); C McConville, O O’Neill (0-03, 0-02fs), Darragh McMullan Subs: J Burns for Sheridan (46), D Magee for Crealey (65), M McConville for Conlon (67).
Ref: P Clarke (Cavan).
GAA Results
McKenna Cup semi-finals
Derry 0-17; Armagh 2-7
Donegal 4-14; Monaghan 0-11
FBD Connacht League semi-finals
Roscommon 0-21; London 1-9
Galway 2-18; Leitrim 1-17
McGrath Cup Football
Cork 1-20; Waterford 0-6
Tipperary 1-11; Limerick 0-10
O’Byrne Cup Football semi-finals
Dublin 5-17; Wexford 1-11
Longford 2-14; Meath 1-14
O’Byrne Cup Shield
Wicklow 1-20; Laois 0-12
Louth 2-12; Westmeath 0-12
Munster Hurling League
Cork 1-24; Clare 0-24
Tipperary 1-28; Kerry 1-14
Leinster GAA Walsh Cup Hurling
Dublin 2-31; Antrim 1-20
Galway 6-29; Laois 2-20
Wexford 3-20; Carlow 0-19
Leinster GAA Kehoe Cup Round 1
Kildare 4-27 Wicklow 0-6
Down 2-20 Meath 1-16.
Conor McGurk Hurling Cup Final
Donegal 2-25; Down 0-22
