ULSTER SFC/First round: Down looked in some disarray long before Roscommon official Gerry Kinneavey brought a welcome finish to this championship non contest at Ballybofey.
For 25 minutes Down succeeded in disguising their frailties. In fact they did better than that, hitting the front with a stylish James McCartan goal that had so many echoes of his former glory days.
McCartan and 39-year-old Mickey Linden were two of Down's better players over the 70 minutes, and the fact that Down continue to pin much of their future on stars of the past is surely fraught with danger?
But they were also unlucky. Perhaps bad luck doesn't cover the fate which befell the county's former All-Ireland minor winning captain, Liam Doyle, who picked up an injury 20 minutes before the match as he and the Down squad were warming up on a practice pitch.
Doyle's hasty, unplanned absence was bad enough, but further woe was heaped on manager Pete McGrath when the experienced Simon Poland was withdrawn injured with barely the second beads of sweat evident on players on view.
With the throw-in delayed for 10 minutes to accommodate a late arriving attendance of 8,000, Donegal encountered their only real problems in the first 25 minutes.
The original fixture was cancelled due to a water-logged pitch, but yesterday's match was played in often brilliant sunshine with perfect underfoot conditions.
The first 25 minutes were wonderfully competitive - Down led after 16 seconds when Benny Coulter pointed. Brendan Devenney's and Adrian Sweeney's points quickly saw Donegal in the driving seat.
Aidan O'Prey had a goal chance well saved by Tony Blake but Down did tie together a slick move involving Michael Walsh, Linden, O'Prey and finisher McCartan which gave them a 1-1 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes.
Briefly, as Linden raced right and left, Down looked menacing. Brendan Grant did much to stifle Devenney's initial promptings, but elsewhere, the paint was spread thinly and cracks duly appeared.
Back in front 0-7 to 1-3 by the 29th minute, Donegal just got better and better, their talisman, Adrian Sweeney, scoring a style of goal more commonly associated with his attacking partner, Devenney.
Sweeney found himself in possession on the 20-metre line and decided to take on Down captain, Ciarán Byrne. He bulldozed his way past the Down man, was much more balanced in rounding goalkeeper Travers, before calmly stroking a match-deciding goal to an empty net.
The manner of the score as much as its execution underlined the gulf in confidence and class between the sides.
Leading 1-7 to 1-3 at half-time, Donegal strolled through the second-half, some scores gained at training ground ease, others finished with venom, none more so than Brian Roper's second goal of the championship, which left Donegal out of sight, 2-10 to 1-3, with 26 minutes left.
Six minutes from the finish Donegal, having withdrawn the lethal Roper and Sweeney, finished in style.
Devenney fired to the net from a tight angle to pour further salt on Down's wounds that will struggle to heal in time for the All- Ireland qualifiers.
Donegal manager Mickey Moran was typically cautious as he prepares to face his native Derry on June 16th.
"We played well, finished some scores very well, but I just know we simply won't get the same opportunities against Derry."
DONEGAL: 1. T Blake; 2. S Carr, 3. M Crossan, 4; N McGinley; 5. R Sweeney, 6. B Monaghan, 7. K Cassidy; 8. J Gildea 9. J McGuinness; 10. C Toye; 11. M Hegarty, 12. B Roper; 13. A Sweeney 14. B Devenney, 15. P MCGonigle.
Subs: D Diver for Monaghan (59 mins), A Doherty for Carr (61 mins), K Rafferty for McGonigle (62 mins), C McFadden for A Sweeney, R Kavanagh for Roper (both 67 mins).
Down: 1. P Travers; 2. J Clarke, 3. C Byrne, 4. B Grant; 5. S Poland, 6. S Ward, 7. N Sexton; 8. B Burns, 9. A Molloy; 10. D Gordon, 11. M Walsh, 12. B Coulter; 13. M Linden, 14. A O'Prey, 15. J McCartan.
Subs R Murtagh for Poland (inj 24 mins), R Sexton for Walsh (50 mins), Plunkett McConville for Burns (52 mins), S King for Gordon 54.
Referee: G Kinneavey (Roscommon).
