2020 Donegal county football team season

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Donegal county football team
2020 season
ManagerDeclan Bonner
StadiumMacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey
NFL D15th
All Ireland SFCDid not compete
Ulster ChampionshipFinal
Dr McKenna CupSemi-final (walkover)
← 2019
2021 →

The following is a summary of Donegal county football team's 2020 season. The season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The season resumed in mid-October of the same year.[2]

Jason McGee had hip surgery in Coventry, England, on 28 November 2019, causing him to miss the opening part of the season.[3]

Odhrán Mac Niallais did not return, having previously opted out of the 2019 season.[4]

Eamonn Doherty, Hugh McFadden and Odhrán McFadden-Ferry were all struck down by "January flu" as the season opened.[5] Eight players completed the league and championship season while awaiting the outcome of the 2020 Donegal Senior Football Championship final (postponed following a case of COVID-19 at the Kilcar club); these were Patrick McBrearty, Ryan McHugh, Eoin McHugh and Andrew McClean, as well as the following from their opponents Naomh Conaill: Ciarán Thompson, Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí, Eoghan McGettigan and Ethan O'Donnell.[6]

National Football League Division 1[]

Donegal competed in Division 1 for the 2020 National League season. The GAA published the fixture schedule on 26 November 2019.[7][8][9] On 12 March 2020, the GAA suspended the National League in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Games resumed in October 2020.[2] The footballers travelled the round-trip of 900 kilometres to Tralee in their own cars to play Kerry in the first game, a feat described in the Irish Independent as the "most eye-catching example of GAA expeditions in the Covid era".[10]

Table[]

Pos Team
  • v
 Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Colours of Kerry.svg Kerry (C) 7 5 1 1 133 112 +21 11 National Football League champions
2 Colours of Dublin.svg Dublin 7 4 2 1 126 112 +14 10 Runners–up
3 Colours of Galway.svg Galway 7 4 0 3 128 127 +1 8[a]
4 Colours of Tyrone.svg Tyrone 7 4 0 3 109 126 −17 8[a]
5 Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal 7 3 1 3 117 109 +8 7
6 Colours of Monaghan.svg Monaghan 7 2 2 3 113 114 −1 6
7 Colours of Mayo.svg Mayo (R) 7 2 1 4 122 123 −1 5 Relegation to 2021 NFL Division 2
8 Colours of Meath.svg Meath (R) 7 0 1 6 103 128 −25 1
Updated to match(es) played on 24 October 2020. Source: GAA.ie
Rules for classification: 1) League points 2) Where only two teams are involved, the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the competition 3) Scoring Difference 4) Highest Total Score For 5) A Play-Off.
(C) League champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Head-to-head result: Galway 2-25 – 0-12 Tyrone.


Reports[]

25 January 2020 (2020-01-25) 1 Donegal Colours of Donegal.svg 0-19 (19) – (19) 2-13 Colours of Mayo.svg Mayo Ballybofey  
19:15 GMT (UTC+0) Venue: MacCumhaill Park
Report Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)
2 February 2020 (2020-02-02) 2 Meath Colours of Meath.svg 0-07 (07) – (17) 3-08 Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal Navan  
15:30 GMT (UTC+0) Venue: Páirc Tailteann
Report Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)
9 February 2020 (2020-02-09) 3 Donegal Colours of Donegal.svg 2-07 (13) – (14) 2-08 Colours of Galway.svg Galway Letterkenny  
15:00 GMT (UTC+0) Venue: O'Donnell Park
Report Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)
22 February 2020 (2020-02-22) 4 Dublin Colours of Dublin.svg 1-15 (18) – (17) 1-14 Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal Drumcondra, Dublin  
19:00 GMT (UTC+0) Venue: Croke Park
Report Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)
1 March 2020 (2020-03-01) 5 Donegal Colours of Donegal.svg 2-12 (18) – (08) 0-08 Colours of Monaghan.svg Monaghan Ballyshannon  
14:00 GMT (UTC+0) Venue: Fr Tierney Park
Report Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)
18 October 2020 (2020-10-18) 6 Donegal Colours of Donegal.svg 2-17 (23) – (19) 2-13 Colours of Tyrone.svgTyrone Ballybofey  
16:00 IST (UTC+1) Venue: MacCumhaill Park
[11] Referee: Jerome Henry (Mayo)
TV: TG4
24 October 2020 (2020-10-24) 7 Kerry Colours of Kerry.svg 2-18 (24) – (10) 0-10 Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal Tralee  
14:00 IST (UTC+1) Venue: Austin Stack Park
Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)
TV: eir Sport

Ulster Senior Football Championship[]

The draw for the 2020 Ulster Senior Football Championship took place on RTÉ Radio 1 on the morning of 9 October 2019.[12][13][14]

Paddy McGrath sustained an injury during training ahead of the 2020 Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final, which ruled him out.[15]

Ciarán Thompson and Oisín Gallen sustained injuries during training ahead of the 2020 Ulster Senior Football Championship final; Thompson could only make a substitute appearance in the game and Gallen could not play at all.[16]

Bracket[]

Preliminary Round
  • v
  • t
Quarter-Finals Semi-Finals Final
Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal 1-13
Colours of Tyrone.svg Tyrone 1-11
Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal 1-22
Colours of Armagh.svg Armagh 0-13
Colours of Derry.svg Derry 0-15
Colours of Armagh.svg Armagh 0-17
Colours of Donegal.svg Donegal 0-12
Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan 1-13
Colours of Fermanagh.svg Fermanagh 0-11
Colours of Down.svg Down 1-15
Colours of Down.svg Down 1-13
Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan 1-14
Colours of Antrim.svg Antrim 0-9
Colours of Monaghan.svg Monaghan 1-17 Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan 0-13
Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan 2-15

Reports[]

1 November 2020 (2020-11-01)
13:30 GMT (UTC+0)
Quarter-final
Donegal Colours of Donegal.svg 1-13 (16) – (14) 1-11 Colours of Tyrone.svg Tyrone
(HT: 1-5 – 0-6)
Gls: M Langan 1.
Pts: C Thompson 7 (5fs), M Langan 2, J Brennan 2, O Gallen 1, P Brennan 1.		 Gls: D Canavan 1.
Pts: D McCurry 3 (1f), M Bradley 2, M Donnelly 1, C McKenna 1 (f), P Harte 1, F Burns 1, N Morgan 1 (45), D Canavan 1.
Sky Sports Mix
14 November 2020 (2020-11-14)
13:15 GMT (UTC+0)
Semi-final
Donegal Colours of Donegal.svg 1-22 (25) – (13) 0-13 Colours of Armagh.svg Armagh
(HT: 1-12 – 0-3)
Gls: P Mogan 1.
Pts: M Langan 3, P Mogan 2, R McHugh 2, J Brennan 2, C McGonigle 2 (1m), C Thompson 2 (1f), N O’Donnell 2 (1m), M Murphy 2 (2f), EB Gallagher 1, H McFadden 1 (m), P McBrearty 1, O Gallen 1, A McClean 1
Pts: R O’Neill 7 (6f, 1x’45′), J Clarke 2, C Turbitt 2 (1m), O O’Neil 1, N Grimley 1 (1m).
22 November 2020 (2020-11-22)
16:00 GMT (UTC+0)
Donegal Colours of Donegal.svg 0-12 (12) – (16) 1-13 Colours of Cavan.svg Cavan
(HT: 0-9 - 0-7)

Pts: P McBrearty 4 (2f), N O’Donnell 2, C McGonigle 2, R McHugh 1, P Mogan 1, M Langan 1, M Murphy 1.		 Gls: C Madden 1.
Pts: C Madden 2, J Smith 2, O Kiernan 2, G McKiernan 2 (2f), J McLoughlin 1, G Smith 1, C Brady 1, T Galligan 1, M Reilly 1.
Athletic Grounds, Armagh
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)
Attendance: 0[note 1]

2020 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship[]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GAA announced that there would be no back-door route into the All-Ireland Championship. Therefore, because Donegal did not win the Ulster Championship, they did not qualify for the 2020 All-Ireland Championship.

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c The game was played behind closed doors due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Gaelic games.

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "GAA, FAI & IRFU suspend all games, Euro 2020 under review". RTÉ Sport. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Ryan, Eoin (25 September 2020). "Leinster bides time as GAA confirms 2020 inter-county fixtures". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Surgery to rule McGee out to Championship". Highland Radio. 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  4. ^ "No Donegal return for Odhrán Mac Niallais in 2020, manager confirms". 30 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  5. ^ Bogue, Declan (11 January 2020). "Donegal deserve our sympathy as senseless GAA policy hits home". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 11 January 2020. This week the January flu has swept across the county and has dosed up Hugh McFadden, Odhran McFadden-Ferry and Eamonn Doherty…
  6. ^ Craig, Frank (24 September 2020). "Situation was avoidable says Kilcar chairman". Donegal News. p. 64. Naomh Conaill men Ciarán Thompson, Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí, Eoghan McGettigan and Ethan O'Donnell are all in Declan Bonner's squad along with Patrick McBrearty, Ryan McHugh, Eoin McHugh and Andrew McClean from Kilcar.
  7. ^ "GAA Master Fixture schedule for 2020 published". Gaelic Athletic Association. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Football League and All-Ireland Club SFC dates confirmed as GAA release fixture schedule". BBC Sport. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  9. ^ Ryan, Eoin (26 November 2019). "Dubs and Kerry to renew battle in Allianz Football League opener". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  10. ^ Roche, Frank (27 October 2020). "'You're in a car without somebody to talk to' — Inter-county players on the lonely road just to stay safe". Irish Independent. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  11. ^ "Allianz FL D1: Donegal defeat Tyrone". www.gaa.ie. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Donegal and Tyrone to clash in 2020 Ulster SFC Quarter-Finals". Gaelic Athletic Association. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Donegal to take on Tyrone in 2020 Ulster SFC quarter-finals". The Irish Times. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  14. ^ "Ulster SFC: Fierce rivals Donegal and Tyrone clash in quarter-finals". BBC Sport. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  15. ^ Ferry, Ryan (12 November 2020). "Huge prize at stake for Donegal". Donegal News. p. 64. Bonner says Donegal are in good shape for the match [Ulster semi-final], although they do have one injury concern. Paddy McGrath picked up a knock last weekend in training… 'Paddy has picked up a knock. He has a soft tissue injury from the weekend. It's nothing too serious, but the turnaround time for this weekend is too quick'.
  16. ^ Bonner, Declan (26 November 2020). "Painful defeat in Ulster final". Donegal News. p. 63. Oisin Gallen and Ciaran Thompson picked up injuries at training last Tuesday night. Oisin wasn't able to play, while Ciaran was only able to come on as a sub…
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