Donegal win Senior game

Donegal had a  3-19 to 1-09 victory over Antrim in Ballybofey.

Paddy McBrearty was a surprise omission from the starting team but came off the bench to kick 1-02, with the subs hitting a total of 1-06 on a satisfactory outing for Donegal manager Rory Gallagher.

He blooded five championship debutants with a total of seven players making their first starts – and it proved to an ideal opportunity to give youth its fling.

Antrim had a strong wind in the first half and made a bright start and missed two goal chances.

CJ McGourty top-scored for Antrim with 0-06 from frees with sub Conor Small scoring an injury-time goal for the  saffrons.

Antrim had two great goal chances before Donegal hit the first major of the game.

McGourty's deft snapshot on the turn, from Paddy McBride's ball in, flashed across goal.

There was still only a point in it when Matthew Fitzpatrick missed an even better chance. He ghosted unmarked to the far post but his shot fizzed just wide of the far post.

Within seconds the ball was in the back of the other net.

Antrim's hopes suffered a further blow just before the interval when Fitzpatrick – who was only cleared to play when a 48-week suspension was quashed by the Central Appeals Committee on Wednesday night, was stretchered off with a leg injury.

Donegal dominated the 2nd half and ran out easy winners.

Antrim Conor Small hit a consolation goal for the saffrons.

Antrim can take heart from the first half performance and can give the qualifiers a rattle.

Scorers - Donegal: M Murphy 0-06 (5f), P McBrearty 1-02 (2f), C Thompson 0-04 (3f), J Brennan 1-01, P McGrath 1-00, M Langan 0-02, F McGlynn, H McFadden, K Lacey, M McHugh 0-01 each

Antrim: CJ McGourty 0-06 (6f), C Small 1-00, T McCann 0-02, S Beatty 0-01

Donegal: A McGinley; P McGrath (1-0), N McGee, EB Gallagher; M Reilly, F McGlynn (0-1), C Ward; J McGee, C Thompson (0-4, 3 frees); M Carroll, H McFadden (0-1), R McHugh; C Mulligan, M Murphy (0-6, 5 frees), J Brennan (1-1)

Subs: E McHugh for Mulligan (46), K Lacey (0-1) for Carroll (50), P McBrearty (1-2, 2 frees) for Brennan (52), M McElhinney for Thompson (57), M McHugh (0-1) for Ward (60), M Langan (0-2) for McGlynn (63)

Antrim: C Kerr; C Hamill, P Gallagher, P Healy; P McBride, D Lynch, P McAleer; S McVeigh, S Beatty (0-1); R McCann, M Fitzpatrick, M Sweeney; CJ McGourty (0-6, 6 frees), B Bradley, T McCann (0-2)

Subs: K O'Boyle for Fitzpatrick (35), J Dowling for R McCann (41), C Small (1-0) for Bradley (51), D Nugent for McVeigh (57), N Delargy for O'Boyle (68)

Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)