Donegal notched up their second win in two outings in this Section B clash in Enniskillen yesterday, against a managerless Fermanagh side who fielded just three of the 15 who started in last year's All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Tyrone.
Fermanagh started brightly, racing into a two-point lead, one of the scores coming from midfielder James Sherry, who along with Shane McDermott dominated the middle of the park in the opening half.
However, Adrian Sweeney's 15th-minute goal, following slack defensive work, gave Donegal a lead they were never to lose. At half-time, they were in front by 1-6 to 0-7, the bulk of the Fermanagh points coming from frees converted by Kieran Donnelly.
Fermanagh's three-point return for the entire second half tells its own story.
DONEGAL: S Sweeney; E Reddin, R Sweeney, D Diver; E Doherty, S Carr, N McGinley; B McLaughlin (0-4), N Gallagher; S McDermott, M Hegarty (0-1), B Roper (0-2); C McFadden (0-4), A Sweeney (1-2), J McCafferty (0-1). Subs: B Boyle (0-1) for Gallagher; E McGee for McDermott; B Durnien (0-1) for Reddin (inj); D McNamara for A Sweeney.
FERMANAGH: D Feely; R Johnston, B Carty, D O'Reilly; M Reilly, D Campbell, D Kelly; S McDermott, J Sherry (0-2); C Boyle, K Donnelly (0-7), R Keenan (0-1); E Sherry, K Coyle, B McBrien. Subs: M Murphy for E Sherry (inj); G Maguire for Boyle; S Lyons for D O'Reilly; C Boyle for Coyle.
Referee: M McErlain (Derry).
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