Galway ladies face a second difficult tie at the start of the National Football League when they travel to face last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists Tyrone.
Having been outclassed by a sharper Donegal in Sunday’s opening league match in Ballyshannon, it does not get easier for Galway who are without a host of key players, Una Carroll, Geraldine Conneally, Dora Gorman, Becky Walsh and Patricia Gleeson, to name a few.
Despite opening the scoring against Donegal with a well-taken goal from Mairead Coyne and a belting point from Lorna Joyce, last year’s finalists were victims to a strong Donegal midfield, and in the end were beaten comfortably by 4-13 to 2-09.
Showing why they are the intermediate All-Ireland champions, Donegal swiftly went about picking off their weakened opponents as Eilish Ward, Yvonne McMonagle and Geraldine McLoughlin all looked sharp in front of goal with single points each.
They went in front midway through the half when Ward’s pace proved too much for the Galway defence and Niamh Hegarty drove low in to the net.
In the space of three minutes McMonagle sent over two more impressive kicks before McLaughlin raced through to net a second - flinging Donegal into a 2-05 to 1-02 lead.
It took a shell-shocked Galway a few minutes to recapture any rhythm as Lorna Joyce, Mairead Coyne and Anne-Marie McDonagh from a free ended their 10 -minute spell without a score, yet the gap still stood at five points at the break.
An early second-half score from Caitriona Cormican was answered by Karen Feeney, and seconds later Galway carved out a glorious chance to regain a foothold in the game when Tracey Leonard found Cormican on a darting run, but her high drive was somehow stopped by goalkeeper Roisin McClafferty.
More points from Ward and McLoughlin were hastily followed by McLaughlin’s second goal of the afternoon with 20 minutes remaining to all but seal the game for the hosts who now held a commanding ten-point cushion.
However Galway forward Mairead Coyne did grasp the chance to make her mark in the absence of Una Carroll and Niamh Duggan by hitting a free and a point from play before coolly netting her second goal three minutes from time.
However it was scant consolation for Galway as Donegal put the final nail in the coffin in injury time when substitute Karen Keeney netted a fourth for the impressive hosts.
Donegal: R McClafferty; K Wilson, T Kennedy, N Friel; G Houston, D Foley, A McDonnell; K Guthrie, R Friel; N Hearty (1-0 ), K Feeney, E Ward (0-2 ); Y McMonagle (0-7 ), G McLaughlin (2-4 ), N Ward (K Keeney 48mins 1-0 ).
Galway: T Hughes; S Noone, E Flaherty, S Lynch; N Lohan (L Gannon 50mins ), R McPhilbin, C Cormican (0-1 ); A Daly (F Cooney 50mins ), D Lawless (T Leonard 37mins 0-1 ); AM McDonagh (0-2 ) (C Hehir 57mins ), L Joyce (0-2 ) (B Hanlon 41mins ), S Burke; E Concannon (S Murphy 28mins ), M Coyne (2-3 ), L Leonard (L Hanlon 41mins ).
Referee: J Niland (Sligo ).
