Down 2-13 Donegal 1-11: Tir Chonaill woes continue as Mournemen win Ulster SFC clash

Down piled more misery on Donegal by earning a 2-13 to 1-11 win at Pairc Esler to set up an Ulster Football semi-final against Armagh next week.

Jason McGee's Donegal goal was the first score but Down were on terms in the 20th minute as Liam Kerr netted after a defensive lapse.

The sides stayed level at half-time but Pat Havern's penalty, won by the superb Ryan Johnston, then put Down five up.

Donegal cut the margin to one after 64 minutes but Down finished the stronger.

The visitors went into the match under a cloud after suffering relegation in a dismal Division One League campaign which saw manager Paddy Carr leaving last month following a players' revolt.

With Aidan O'Rourke now in interim charge, Donegal attempted to regroup in recent weeks but Down were clearly the better side in Newry despite having missed out on promotion from Division Three as the progress under Conor Laverty in his first year in charge was again evident.

The Mournemen can now look forward to their provincial semi-final with Kieran McGeeney's Armagh next Sunday while few will be tipping struggling Donegal to have a prolonged campaign in the new Super 16s which begin next month.

Donegal fail to build on perfect start

Donegal couldn't have got off to a better start as McGee punished a mix up between Anthony Doherty and Niall McParland in the third minute to run through the Down defence before slotting underneath Niall Kane.

However instead of building on the early goal, Donegal's attacking play became ponderous which played into the hands of the well-organised Down defence.

This forced Donegal into having to take risky shots which saw them accumulating eight first-half wides in addition to dropping a number of efforts short.

After Havern opened Down's account from the free in the ninth minute, Donegal's best forward Daire O Baoill restored their three-point advantage only for the game's central character Johnston to slot the first of his three superb scores, after a quick free from Kilcoo club-mate Ceilum Johnston.

The duo were among six Kilcoo men in the Down starting line-up after a number of seasons when representation from 2022 All-Ireland Club champions had been low.

Donegal's early momentum was further halted by a hamstring pull for Michael Langan in the 15th minute which meant a championship debut for Luke McGlynn, who was among a host of inexperienced players on the visitors' bench.

The Tir Chonaill men went into the match without injured Patrick McBrearty and absent Ryan McHugh and with the retired Michael Murphy watching the contest from the BBC Sport NI studio at Pairc Esler.

Kerr's opportunist goal helped Down level on 20 minutes after Donegal defenders Caolan Ward and Eoghan Ban Gallagher failed in their attempts to shepherd Eugene Branagan over the sideline, which allowed the Burren man to speed clear and fire past Shaun Patton.

Both sides only managed two further points apiece during the remainder of the half, with Donegal crucially squandering a goal chance as Down keeper Kane saved Conor O'Donnell's pointblank effort and McParland bravely blocked Ciaran Thompson's attempted follow-up.

Thompson put Donegal ahead once more following the restart but that was the last time they led as Down responded with a match-turning 1-3 in six minutes as the lively Daniel Guinness' point was followed in kind by Johnston and Branagan from play before Havern's crucial penalty.

Shane Annett's pass had sent man of the match Johnston clear and after he was hauled down by Mark Curran, Havern held his nerve to send Patton the wrong way form the penalty spot.

Down did threaten to wobble around the hour mark as successive points from O'Donnell, McGee and substitute Oisin Gallen left the minimum between the sides with six minutes of normal time left.

Donegal did appear harshly treated by Kildare referee Brendan Cawley a minute later as he didn't see an apparent foul on Gallen, which meant a Down turnover was eventually finished off by a point at the other end from substitute Andrew Gilmore.

Daire O Baoill's three points helped keep Donegal in the Pairc Esler contest before Down pulled clear

Donegal's last hurrah in the closing seconds of normal time was a Thompson wide which was followed by a Patton placed-ball coming back off the woodwork.

After Down quickly worked the ball downfield, Guinness notched his second point to put three between the sides before another substitute Conor Poland and Gilmore added further insurance scores.

Down: N Kane; P Laverty (capt), A Doherty, S Annett; D Magill (0-1), N McParland, M Rooney; D Guinness (0-2), R McEvoy; C Doherty, R Johnston (0-3), L Kerr (1-0); D McAleenan, P Havern (1-3), E Branagan (0-1).

Subs: C Poland (0-1) for McParland 65, A Gilmore (0-2) for Branagan 53, S Johnston for R Johnston 60, G Collins for McAleenan 70, C Francis for Annett 49

Not used: C Smyth, C Fitzpatrick, A Morgan, P Branagan, C McCrickard, R Mason,

Donegal: S Patton (0-1); M Curran, B McCole, C Ward (0-1); C McColgan, S McMenamin, E Ban Gallagher (capt); C McGonagle, J McGee (1-1); D O Baoill (0-3), M Langan, C Thompson (0-2); H McFadden, J Brennan, C O'Donnell (0-2)

Subs: O Gallen for McFadden 46, R O'Donnell for McMenamin 65, L McGlynn for Langan 15 mins, K Tobin for Ward 49, K Barrett for McGlynn 70.

Not used: G Mulready, JR Molloy, J McGroddy, D Dorrian, J McSharry, B O'Donnell

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare)