Donegal hand harsh lesson to Down on return to top flight

Down 0-7 Donegal 3-15

Shellshocked Down were given a reality check by Donegal in Páirc Esler, with the visitors running in three second-half goals to coast to an easy opening round victory in the Allianz League.

A humiliating 17-point defeat on their return to Division One was not what Down, red hot favourites for relegation, needed at this juncture.

They were battered into submission by a team operating on a different plane, Michael Murphy leading the way with a masterful display of dead ball striking.

He kicked 0-8 from placed balls which included 0-6 in the first half, at the end of which the visitors led by 0-9 to 0-3.

Two goals inside a three-minute spell early in the second half from Ryan McHugh and Patrick McBrearty killed off any remote hopes of a Down comeback, McHugh fisting home a third late on to leave new manager Eamonn Burns with much to ponder.

This was a real wake-up call for Down, who only scored two points from play, missed a first-half penalty and lost Donal O’Hare to a straight red card four minutes from the end.

If Down were in any doubt how tough life in Division One is going to be, the first half was a brutal reminder that mistakes at this level are routinely punished.

Early points from newcomer Ciaran Thompson and Patrick McBrearty, plus the first of Murphy's six first-half points, had Donegal coasting at 0-4 to 0-1 ahead after 16 minutes.

Down had one big chance to turn the tide when Ryan Johnston outsprinted Neil McGee to a poor Donegal kickout and won a penalty in the 19th minute.

McGee was sent off with a black card after tripping the pacy Mourne attacker but O'Hare's tame penalty was at a nice height for Peter Boyle and the goalkeeper pushed his shot away.

Donegal made them pay, dominating the middle third and scored five unanswered points before the break.

Murphy’s accuracy from dead balls was unerring and great to watch.

The sideline ball he converted from around the 13 metre line was a particular treat and put them 0-6 to 0-3 up after 25 minutes.

Paddy McBrearty nailed a left-footed free from distance before another brace of frees from Murphy gave the visitors a 0-9 to 0-3 interval lead.

O’Hare ended a 21-minute scoring drought for Down with a 39th-minute free, but two goals in a three-minute spell any hope of a fightback by the home side.

Ryan McHugh started and finished the first goal five minutes after the restart, exchanging passes with Ciaran Thompson before palming the ball into an empty net.

Thompson had a hand in the second goal for Paddy McBrearty a few minutes later, his high ball in was brilliantly caught by the Kilcar forward who buried the ball low into the corner of the net in a super finish.

O’Hare landed three frees but the game was long over as a contest and Ryan McHugh fisted home his second goal 12 minutes from the end to add to Down’s woes.

O’Hare shipped a straight red late on and Eamon McGee was black carded for Donegal, who also finished with 14 men as they had already used all their substitutes by the time of his dismissal two minutes from the end.

DOWN: S Kane; D O'Hagan, G McGovern, M Magee; M Hughes, C McGovern (0-1), R Boyle; P Turley, H Brown; J Murphy, M Poland, K McKernan; R Johnston, A McConville (0-2, one free), D O'Hare (0-4, all frees).

Subs: C Harrison for Johnston (29 mins), D O'Hanlon for Murphy (BC, 29 mins), N Madine for McConville (39 mins), M McKay for Turley (47 mins), S Dornan for Poland (55 mins), A Carr for C McGovern (BC, 58 mins)

DONEGAL: P Boyle; E Doherty, N McGee, P McGrath; R McHugh (2-0), F McGlynn (0-1), A Thompson; O MacNiallais, H McFadden; M Carroll, C Thompson (0-1), E McHugh; P McBrearty (1-3, two frees), M Murphy (0-8, seven frees), M O'Reilly

Subs: E McGee for N McGee (BC, 20 mins), L McLoone (0-2) for Carroll (45 mins), S McBrearty for MacNiallais (53 mins), N Gallagher for C Thompson (59 mins), R Kavanagh for O'Reilly (61 mins), C McGonagle for R McHugh (63 mins)

Referee: David Gough (Meath)