Sweeney's strike helps transform Donegal

Donegal 3-11 Cork 1-7: A powerful second-half display gave relegated Donegal their second win of their league campaign against…

Donegal 3-11 Cork 1-7: A powerful second-half display gave relegated Donegal their second win of their league campaign against Cork in Ballyshannon yesterday.

Cork looked the better side in the opening half and should have led by more than the 1-4 to 0-4 advantage they had at half-time as they spurned a number of goalscoring chances. Donegal goalkeeper Seán Boylan saved point-blank shots from Seán Levis and Brendan Jer O'Sullivan.

The Cork goal came on 27 minutes when Conor McCarthy found a hole in the Donegal defence to release James Masters, who shot home from 13 metres.

Donegal then seized the initiative and were in front by the 46th minute when Brendan Devenney set up Adrian Sweeney for their first goal. Thereafter it seemed as if a different Donegal were on the field as they piled forward at will to pepper the Cork goal.

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Points followed from Sweeney and Colm McFadden and even when James Masters pulled a point back, a brace of points from Brian Roper put Donegal into a five-point lead, 1-10 to 1-5.

A second goal on 65 minutes, finished by Colm McFadden, ended hopes of a Cork comeback.

Devenney scored a third Donegal goal in the last minute of the game to seal the win.

DONEGAL: S Boylan; E McGee, R Sweeney, E Reddin; K Lacey, B Monaghan, K Cassidy; N Gallagher, C Toye (0-1); R Kavanagh, M Hegarty (0-1), B Roper (0-3); C McFadden (1-2, 0-2 free), B Devenney (1-2, 0-2 frees), A Sweeney (1-2). Subs: S Carr for Reddin (yellow card), S McDermott for Kavanagh, C Sharkey for Boylan (yellow card), P McNulty for Sweeney.

CORK: K Murphy; S O'Brien, D Duggan, K O'Connor; E Sexton, A Lynch, M Cronin; N Murphy, S Levis; J Masters (1-3), C McCarthy (0-1), A Cronin; P Clifford, B G O'Sullivan, C Crowley (0-2, one free). Subs: K McMahon for Murphy, G Spillane for Lynch; M Cronin for Clifford, D Hurley (0-1) for Crowley.

YELLOW CARDS: Donegal: E Reddin, S Boylan. Cork: A Lynch.

Referee: J Bannon (Longford).