Murphy kicks Donegal into final
22.04.10
Donegal...0-12
Tipperary...0-4
by Dónal Campbell, Inishowen Independent, in Parnell
Park, Dublin
THE latest episode of ‘The Michael Murphy Show’ was
screened under lights in Parnell Park, Dublin on
Saturday evening when the Glenswilly wonderkid took
centre stage yet again as the Donegal U-21s booked a
place in an All-Ireland final. It’s Donegal’s first
final at this grade for the first time since 1987.
Tipperary provided Murphy’s fodder on Saturday although
the 0-12 to 0-4 scoreline belies a much tougher outing
than the scoreboard might suggest.
Played at a cracking pace throughout, a highly
entertaining first-half nonetheless coughed up a mere
four scores – three of these coming off Donegal boots.
Wearing 11, Murphy – as expected – spent the game
hunting in-and-around the Tipperary square. The
unenviable task of shadowing the 2009 Young Footballer
of the Year fell to Tipperary captain Ciaran McDonald
with midfielder Alan Maloney also lying deep in an
obvious effort to sweep stray ball intended for Murphy.
Neither were up to the job with Murphy going on to score
half of Donegal’s final tally and more than the Tipp men
managed over the hour.
The game was seven minutes old before either team
troubled the scoreboard operator and inevitably it was
Murphy who proved architect and provider. A dodgy free
won in a midfield scramble and taken quickly provided a
first real opportunity to isolate McDonald on Murphy.
Murphy duly plucked the ball out of the sky, was fouled
on hitting the ground and converted the resultant free
himself. That early high ball into Murphy was Donegal’s
Plan A, and a good one at that. |
Tipperary opened their
account on the tenth minute – a 21 yard free converted
by Conor Sweeney – but this was negated a few minutes
later by a fabulous individual effort from Naomh
Conaill’s Leo McLoone. His clubmate Dermot Molloy fired
over the final score of the half bang on 20 minutes
courtesy of a 30 yard free.
Tipperary too had their chances but like Donegal were
guilty of a number of wides. Both teams had clear shots
on goal – the exotically monikered Aldo Matassa drawing
a fabulous save from the impressive Peter Boyle on 25
minutes while that man Murphy blazed an effort just wide
at the other end.
0-3 to 0-1 at half-time, Tipperary suffered a death blow
a mere two minutes after the restart when McDonald was
harshly shown the line for a second yellow. Murphy had
already fired over his second point of the evening on
the restart and McDonald’s foul afforded the opportunity
to put four between the sides.
The combination of McDonald’s dismissal, the
scintillating form of both Murphy and Mark McHugh in
particular with Donegal shading most of their individual
duels from 1 to 15, pointed towards a comfortable
second-half cruise for Jim McGuinness’ men. That said,
it came dropping slow.
Tipperary to their credit fought to the bitter end and
with a quarter of the game remaining were still only
four points adrift – 0-8 to 0-4. Finally, in the last
ten minutes, Donegal pulled away as scores began sailing
over the Tipperary crossbar unanswered. In all Murphy
added five to his first-half tally, the lively Molloy
contributed 0-2 as did Gaoth Dobhair’s James Carroll to
book a showdown with the Dubs on 1 May.
With local men Declan Walsh (Malin) and Thomas McKinley
(Newtown) looking the part on Saturday evening in the
starting 15, and Moville’s Danny Murphy amongst the
subs, there will be considerable excitement in these
parts as Donegal line up a first shot at All-Ireland
glory since that Sunday in September 1992.
Donegal: P Boyle; E Doherty, C Boyle, P McGrath;
D Walsh, T McKinley, C Classon; K Mulhern, D Curran; M
McHugh, D Molloy 0-3 (1f), L McLoone 0-1; A McFadden, M
Murphy 0-6 (3f), D McLaughlin. Subs: J Carroll 0-2, for
D McLaughlin (h-t), P McNelis for T McKinley (46), S
O’Kennedy for D Curran (60), C Morrison for A McFadden
(60), D Murphy for P McGrath (60).
For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the
Inishowen Independent. |
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