Donegal fail to show promise

Donegal 0-13 Clare 1-7:ONCE AGAIN Donegal stumbled over the line against Clare on Saturday evening in Ballybofey. Clare matched Donegal for much of the game and were denied a goal in the second half.

The loss of Christy Toye with an achilles injury early in the second half seemed to take the competitive edge out of the game and Donegal could only manage one point in the final 30 minutes.

“It was far from a convincing performance and, to say the least of it, we are going to have to show a big improvement if we are to go much further,” admitted Donegal manager John Joe Doherty.

Donegal started well with three points inside three minutes but then Paul Durcan gave away a penalty and David Tubridy levelled matters on 18 minutes.

By half-time Donegal were three clear again and that margin was six early in the second half.

Clare should have been closer when Tubridy found the Donegal net, but he was denied by the referee for picking the ball off the ground.

DONEGAL: P Durcan; F McGlynn, N McGee, K Lacey; B Dunnion (0-1), B Monaghan, E McGee; C Toye (0-2), K Cassidy; R Kavanagh, L McLoone (0-1), D Walsh; C Dunne, M Murphy (0-5, four frees), C McFadden (0-4). Subs: M Boyle for Durcan (half-time), B Roper for Toye (48 mins), B Boyle for Monaghan (57 mins), D Gallagher for Walsh (60 mins), M Hegarty for McLoone (72 mins).

CLARE: D O’Brien; L Healy, C Whelan, M McMahon; G Kelly, K Dilleen, E Coughlan (0-2); G Quinlan, G Brennan; G Kelly, D Russell, S Collins; M O’Shea, F O’Dea, D Tubridy (1-4, 1-0 pen, four frees). Subs: P O’Dwyer (0-1) for O’Dea (28 mins), C O’Connor for O’Shea (half-time), P McMahon for Collins (53 mins), L Markham for Kelly (61 mins).

Referee: M Higgins (Fermanagh).