Ulster SFC: Down dethrone Donegal

Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final

DOWN 3-21 DONEGAL 1-21

By Chris McNulty, O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny

Underdogs Down caused a major upset as Mícheál Rooney netted two late goals to dethrone Ulster champions Donegal.

Few gave Conor Laverty’s team much of a chance in Letterkenny against the 2025 All-Ireland finalists - but the Mourne men were full value for victory.

The game was in the melting pot right until the final few minutes. Just two points separated the sides, Down leading 1-19 to 1-17, with five minutes remaining when Rooney struck gold.

Rooney weaved his way into position and got around Donegal goalkeeper Gavin Mulreany to practically walk the ball into the Donegal net.

While Peadar Mogan landed a two-pointer for Donegal, Rooney repeated his trick, firing home from close range after full-back Brendan McCole took the ball off his own goal-line.

For good measure, Adam Crimmins lifted over the bar when he might well have tried for a fourth Down goal and the game was long since gone as a contest when sub Shea Malone arched over a two-pointer for a shell-shocked Donegal.

Down led 0-11 to 1-7 at half-time, Donegal staying in touch thanks to a Caolan McGonagle goal, but Daniel Guinness’s goal in the 41st minute was a real cat among the pigeons.

From 20 metres, Guinness took aim and superbly found the bottom corner and Down - coming in here on the back of winning Division 3 - dared to dream.

Just two minutes later, Pat Havern - who scored seven points in all - landed a two-pointer and the gauntlet was firmly thrown to Donegal.

Odhran Murdock widened the margin to five, 1-15 to 1-10, but Donegal hit back well and were back within two points with 20 minutes to play in the Letterkenny sunshine.

Jason McGee took an off-load from Peadar Mogan and slammed over a two-pointer to restore parity in the 51st minute - the eighth time the abacus was level.

Murdock, with a score that was hotly disputed, and Ceilum Doherty, put Down two up again with 15 minutes to go.

At stages, Donegal looked like they might claw back, but Rooney and Down had other ideas.
This was the first Ulster SFC game in Letterkenny for 75 years and Donegal were without All-Star Michael Langan, the St Michael’s man picking up an injury in a recent challenge game.

Having named a couple of Championship rookies in the panel released, Jim McGuinness’s team showed three changes with Finnbarr Roarty, Ciaran Moore and Oisin Gallen all drafted in.

The home side kicked seven wides in the first half and also had two efforts come off the uprights.
Four of their wayward attempts came in the first 12 minutes, by which time they were 0-2 to 0-1 in front.

Michael Murphy, making his 197th appearance (his 89th in championship football) in the county colours, opened the scoring with a two-point free, sailed over from the chalk of the ’45.

Donegal wouldn’t score again until Gallen’s fisted point 10 minutes later, with Odhrán Murdock, Pat Havern and Daniel Guinness registering at the other end in between times.

Murphy saw an attempt for goal blocked by Pearse McPolin, elevated as a late replacement to the Down XV for his Championship debut and with Havern and Guinness on target again Down were proving to be a stern test for the Ulster holders.

The game really sprang to life in the 28th minute.
Havern’s third of the game had just put Down ahead by four, 0-8 to 0-4, when Donegal pounced for a goal out of nowhere.

A Conor O’Donnell shot dropped short and a breaking ball fell the way of McGonagle. The Buncrana man seized the moment, thumping past Ronan Burns to the bottom corner.

Barely a minute later, Down might have hit back with a goal of their own, but Gavin Mulreany saved superbly with his right foot from Mícheál Rooney.

Donegal countered again and the returning Oisin Gallen went for goal, but Burns turned over at the expense of a point.

Conor O’Donnell arched Donegal ahead two minutes before half-time only for Down to flip the table. Adam Crimmins levelled things up and, with the final kick of the opening half, Caolan Mooney - who performed a retirement u-turn in recent weeks - slammed over off the outside of his right boot from a testing angle.

Down's resolve was tested, but they did the business for a famous win to blow the Ulster race wide open.

Scorers for Donegal: Michael Murphy 0-7 (1 2ptf, 4f), Oisin Gallen 0-5, Caolan McGonagle 1-0, Conor O’Donnell 0-3, Jason McGee 0-2 (1 2pt), Peadar Mogan 0-2, (1 2pt), Shea Malone 0-2, (1 2pt);

Scorers for Down: Pat Havern 0-7 (1 2pt, 4f), Daniel Guinness 1-3, Mícheál Rooney 2-0, Adam Crimmins 0-4, Odhran Murdock 0-3, Ryan McEvoy 0-2 (1 2pt), Caolan Mooney, Ceilum Doherty 0-1 each

Donegal: Gavin Mulreany; Caolan McColgan, Brendan McCole, Eoghan Bán Gallagher; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Finnbarr Roarty; Jason McGee, Hugh McFadden; Shane O’Donnell, Ciaran Moore, Peadar Mogan; Conor O’Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen. Subs: Daire Ó Baoill for Moore (41), Max Campbell for McHugh (47), Mark Curran for Gallagher (59), Shea Malone for Gallen (60).

Down: Ronan Burns; Peter Fegan, Pierce Laverty, Callum Rogers; Caolan Mooney, Shane Annett, Daniel McGuinness; Odhran Murdock, Ryan McEvoy; Mícheál Rooney, Ceilum Doherty, John McGeough; Adam Crimmins, Pat Havern, Pearse McPolin. Subs: Liam Kerr for McGeogh (42), Finn McElroy for Fegan (49), Jamie Doran for Mooney (57), Ryan Magill for McPolin (61), Ruairi McCormack for Rogers (66)

Referee: Paddy Neilan (Down).