Donegal 2-11

Antrim 2-7

Niall O'Donnell bagged 2-5 as Donegal survived a huge scare to beat Antrim in the Ulster MFC quarter-final at Corrigan Park, Belfast this evening.

An upset looked to be on the cards when a pair of Eamon Fyffe goals propelled the Saffrons into a 2-7 to 0-8 lead with 10 minutes remaining, but then O'Donnell took centre stage by scoring two goals in the space of a minute to put the visitors ahead and they added three late points to progress to the semi-finals with a big sigh of relief.

The favourites led by 0-3 to 0-1 after 12 minutes, but Antrim rallied with points from Kevin Small, Eoin Nagle and Michael Hagan to leave it all-square, 0-4 each, at half-time.

Both teams were reduced to 14 players within minutes of the resumption before Fyffe netted in the 35th and 48th minutes to put the hosts five in front. But O'Donnell's late heroics ensured the Tir Chonaill men advanced. 

Donegal - G Mulreany; S Ferry (0-1), A McCrea, M Curran; O Shiels, JD Boyle, A McLaughlin (0-1); J McGee (0-1f), K Gallagher (0-1); N Boyle, N O'Donnell (2-5), E McCormick; O McFadden, E McGettigan, P Mogan (0-2, 1f). Subs: S McGrath for J McGee (BC), B O'Donnell for E McCormick, R Connors for O McFadden (BC), S Carr for A McLaughlin.

Antrim - G Smith; M Donnelly, S Kelly, P Muholland; P Finnegan, P McCormick, D McCormick; N McKeown, J Maybin; E McCabe, D McErlain (0-1f), E Nagle (0-1); M Doherty, K Small (0-1f), M Hagan (0-1f). Subs: E Fyffe (2-3) for M Hagan, J Finnegan for M Doherty, M McNamee for J Maybin, M Hamill for S Kelly, M Doherty for M Donnelly, S Duffin for D McErlain.

Referee - M Farrelly.

 

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