Donegal 2-11 Mayo 0-16:Donegal seem intent on defending their league title as entertainingly as possible.
After committing night-time larceny against Kerry, they created an audacious winning goal on a gorgeous February afternoon in McHale Park, with Gweedore man Eamon McGee rifling home a goal in the 74th minute to give the visitors the lead for the first time in the match.
John O'Mahony turned away from the field and grimaced as the Donegal men raised their arms in triumph. There will be days like this. This reprise of last year's league final was open and entertaining and showed optimistic signs for both sides. But it was the Donegal squad who proved that winning is a nice habit to get into.
Outrageous drama may have been at the heart of both their victories this season but they can justifiably claim that they have been backed by substantial 70-minute performances.
"That was the last goal I scored for my county," deadpanned McGee when asked when he had last hit the net wearing a Donegal shirt.
"It was probably just luck. But I do play up front for the local soccer club. It was nice to get the goal but the important thing was we kept at it. A lot of teams would have put their heads down but we battled and that was a good sign."
Nonetheless, this was Mayo's match to lose and on 51 Sundays of the year, they would have claimed it. They probably played the Donegal men a little too honestly during the high-wire drama and skilful denouement which saw young David Walsh set McGee up with a smart, square pass for that killer goal.
But the Gweedore man struck the sweet spot at the perfect angle and despite having made a fine penalty save in the first half, young Shane Nallen could do nothing as McGee's shot whistled its way to the corner.
"We are gutted," said O'Mahony. "If we had won it, there would have been a lot of positive talking points but the final tally dictates. But I did say that this league would hold challenging times and how we hold it together now is going to be important."
But the bright points for Mayo were plain to see. They played some scintillating football, streaming through the Donegal defence in the first quarter as they raced into a 0-8 to 0-3 lead. Wing back Keith Higgins may well have touched Olympic qualifying time on several of his attacking bursts, Conor Mortimer was in terrific form for 50 minutes and there was a welcome return to prominence for the athletic Westport man, James Gill.
This was a Mayo team without so many of the gilded names and containing four Under-21s and yet they attacked with conviction and assurance. Peadar Gardiner toiled in difficult circumstances at midfield and Alan Dillon had a typically productive game. Mayo had just four wides over 70 minutes, and had a good spread of scorers.
Twice - when Austin O'Malley sent a cloudbusting point over on 26 minutes to make it a 0-11 to 0-5 lead and when Higgins rushed through for an early point just after half-time, they looked as though they might coast to victory.
But perhaps Donegal are learning through bitter experience. As McGee testified, they did not give themselves the option of quitting here and grafted fiercely even after Mayo's Tom Parsons nailed a fine point to leave it 0-16 to 1-10 after 67 minutes.
They have a furnace of human will in Kevin Cassidy, a growing and imposing old-fashioned midfielder in Neill Gallagher and all the street craft that Brian Roper brings to the team. Those three kept pointing the others in the right direction. Colm McFadden was unstoppable in the first half and self-destructive in the second, trying to force his scoring touch after the frustration of seeing his 24th minute penalty saved.
Young David Walsh looked like a creator of great potential in the second half and substitute Martin McElhinney made fine use of every ball that came his way.
Ryan Bradley kept showing for ball and was rewarded when a long ball from Christy Toye led to the break for Walsh to square across to the full forward, who punched it home.
Toye is the chief enigma of the Donegal game. Nobody doubts the natural talent of the St Michael's man except, it seems, himself. There were flashes of the power and ball skill that set him apart in previous seasons but it may be he needs a more clearly defined role with the attacking framework in order to fully flourish once more.
Afterwards, Eamon McGee emphasised the importance of a good Ulster championship run for the team. That Toye should tap into his natural form is a central part of that ambition.
Mayo are nowhere near their championship composition. Many of the boys of summer have yet to return. But the pain of this defeat could be useful to O'Mahony's young charges in the meantime. Disaster crept up on them quietly.
A forceful Donegal attack yielded a free that McFadden tapped over to leave just two points between the teams after 68 minutes. Following the kick-out, half back Chris Barrett was sent off on a second yellow, Mayo fell back and Donegal played kick-around with astonishing composure until McGee popped to "try it, for the crack."
Time was when Donegal men having the crack signalled headlines for all the wrong reasons. This year they seem to be in a mood to enjoy themselves on the field.
DONEGAL: M Boyle; K Lacey, N McGee, P McDaid; K Cassidy, E McGee (1-0), F McGlynn; N Gallagher, K Rafferty; C Toye, D Walsh (0-2), B Roper; C McFadden (0-7, three frees), R Bradley (1-2, two frees), K McMenamin. Subs: M McElhinney for McMenamin (32 mins); B Monaghan for McDaid (43 mins); K Doherty for Monaghan (46 mins inj).
MAYO: S Nallen; T Cunniffe, BJ Padden, L O'Malley; C Barrett, T Howley, K Higgins (0-2); S O'Shea, P Gardiner; J Gill (0-2), A Dillon (0-3, two frees), M Mullins; C Mortimer (0-6, three frees), A O'Malley (0-1), A Moran (0-1). Subs: D Heaney for Cuniffe (28 mins); T Parsons (0-1) for O'Shea (33 mins); T Mortimer for Mullins (63 mins).
Referee: M Duffy (Sligo).
