DAIRE Ó BAOILL and Oisín Gallen ensured that Jimmy is still winning matches in 2025 as Donegal edged Dublin in their Division 1 opener last night.
Ó Baoill scored six points — with Gallen nabbing four — as Jim McGuinness’ troops won in Ballybofey.
Most of their work was done in the first half as they built up a lead with the wind at their backs — meaning they led by five at the interval.
And they did so thanks to Ó Baoill’s brilliant kicking before they hung on to claim their first NFL points of the year.
It was an important victory too after Donegal missed their trip to face Kerry last weekend owing to the aftermath of Storm Éowyn. But an experimental Dublin side added to the night.
With a wind behind them that got stronger as the half went on, Donegal enjoyed large spells of possession and found themselves 0-11 to 0-6 in front by the interval.
And that lead would have been considerably more only for a host of Donegal wides.
The official count was seven at the interval — but five in succession punctured their progress midway through the half.
But Ó Baoill was the one with the accuracy, showing that two plus two is indeed six.
The Gaoth Dobhair forward knocked over half a dozen first-half points from four shots. Two were traditional types before he nailed a brace of two-pointers as the rain fell sideways to freshen things up.
Dublin gaffer Dessie Farrell made three first-half substitutions.
Tom Lahiff — who was one of the trio drafted in — was involved as soon as he came on and saw Shaun Patton save his goalbound shot.
Dublin opened with a 1-17 to 1-15 victory over Mayo at Croke Park last weekend.
And they were best served by Colm Basquel and Killian McGinnis in the opening 35 minutes with a couple of points each.
Farrell’s troops might have fancied themselves with the wind in their favour during the second half.
But Donegal were always happy enough to run and close the space.
However, the Dublin manager was managing minutes as he made another substitution after the break with Luke Breathnach coming on for Basquel in the 43rd minute. But points from Niall Scully, Basquel and Greg McEneaney brought their deficit down to just two points minutes after the restart.
It meant that the wind theory was perhaps the one to back.
Even though Shane O’Donnell and Gallen pushed Donegal on, Ciarán Kilkenny popped a score over from outside the arc to put just one in the game.
Donegal kept just in front, with O’Donnell, Gallen and Peadar Mogan all pointing.
But McEneaney took Dublin back to one point again with just 16 minutes to play.
However, the trend that developed earlier continued.
STAYING AHEAD
When Dublin looked like grasping Donegal’s tail, captain for the night Michael Langan and substitute Patrick McBrearty stretched it out to three and Donegal managed to keep ahead when it mattered most.
The result ensured that Dublin have not won a league meeting between the sides in Donegal since 2009.
They were even managed by Pat Gilroy on that occasion when they won 0-13 to 1-8 in Ballyshannon.
Now though, Donegal boss McGuinness will be glad his side are winning matches once again.
DONEGAL: S Patton; F Roarty, B McCole, P Mogan 0-1; R McHugh, E Gallagher, C Moore; M Langan 0-2, C Thompson 0-1f; D O Baoill 0-6, 2tp, C O’Donnell 0-1, S O’Donnell 0-2; H McFadden, O Gallen 0-4, 1f, C McGonagle. Subs: J Brennan for McFadden 50 mins; P McBrearty 0-3, 2f for C O’Donnell 50; E McHugh for R McHugh 61; O Doherty for S O’Donnell 61; M Curran for Gallagher 64.
DUBLIN: G Sheridan; D Byrne, T Clancy, S MacMahon; B Howard, C Murphy, G McEneaney 0-2; J Madden, K McGinnis 0-2; K Lahiff, S Bugler 0-2, C Kilkenny 0-3, 1tp; C Basquel 0-3, E O’Donnell, B O’Leary. Subs: T Lahiff for K Lahiff 25 mins; C Tyrrell for Byrne 29; N Scully 0-1 for Madden 29; L Breathnach 0-2 for Basquel 43; S Lowry 0-1 for O’Donnell 64.
REFEREE: P Neilan (Roscommon).
