Donegal 3-12 Galway 0-11
Michael Murphy showed leadership when it was needed for Donegal as they turned in a superb second-half display to oust Galway at Croke Park.
Galway stayed with Donegal until early in the second-half but couldn’t compete in the crunch third quarter of this Round 4B qualifier.
The 2012 All-Ireland champions had been written after their Ulster final defeat to Monaghan two weeks’ ago.
But the rest served them well and Murphy led from the front after the sides were tied 1-04 to 0-07.
Paddy McBrearty got Donegal’s first-half goal while Ryan McHugh and Christy Toye raised further green flags to seal their third championship win in a row over Galway.
Danny Cummins put Galway ahead inside the opening minute but man of the match Odhran Mac Niallais tied the game up.
Then Colm McFadden, also superb throughout, kicked a point before he set up McBrearty, who blasted to the back of the Galway net in the seventh minute.
The Tribesmen hit back with points from Gary Sice and Tom Flynn.
McFadden and McBrearty got the scores as Donegal took a 1-04 to 0-03 lead after 16 minutes but Donegal didn’t score for the remainder of the half while Galway tied the game up.
Galway frustrated the beaten Ulster finalists and cut off the supply lines from midfield.
Captain Paul Conroy won a huge amount of possession for Galway from the kick-outs and they kicked four points without reply.
Gary Sice slotted his second free in the 24th minute after Damien Comer’s persistence and further efforts from Adrian Varley, Sice and Conroy had the sides at 1-04 to 0-07 at half-time.
Varley put Galway ahead for the second time after the break but it was really a goal opportunity.
Donegal hadn't scored for 24 minutes but then hit three points in four minutes, including an inspirational catch, turn and kick from Murphy.
Sice’s fourth free of the evening had them 0-09 to 1-07 in arrears in the 51st minute but Galway only added two points to their tally from that point while Donegal hit 2-05.
Murphy pointed a free for their first score in almost half an hour after 44 minutes and a superb effort from Mac Niallais put them into a lead they never lost when he found the target a minute later.
Murphy out-fielded Finian Hanley to kick an excellent score as Donegal started to turn the screw.
The introduction of Martin McElhinney was key in Donegal getting on top around the middle of the field and it allowed Murphy switch to full-forward where he proved more than a handful for Hanley.
McFadden and Mac Niallais added points to make it 1-9 to 0-9 and any notions of a Galway revival ended ten minutes from time when a superb flowing movement resulted in their second goal.
McFadden, Mac Niallais and Murphy were all involved, with Murphy tapping the ball down for the inrushing Ryan McHugh and he finished calmly to the back of the net.
Damien Comer and Leo McLoone swapped points and Shane Walsh and Murphy did likewise, but Donegal finished in style when Christy Toye got their third goal in the closing minutes as they marched into the quarter-finals.
Next up is a quarter-final encounter with Connacht champions Mayo at Croke Park next Saturday and Rory Gallagher’s men will go into that clash full of confidence despite not scoring for 28 minutes of this contest.
Donegal: P Durcan; N McGee, E McGee, P McGrath; R McHugh (1-00), F McGlynn, E Doherty; N Gallagher, M Murphy (0-03, 0-02f); M McHugh, O Mac Niallais (0-03), H McFadden; P McBrearty (1-01), M O’Reilly, C McFadden (0-04, 0-01f).
Subs: M McElhinney for O’Reilly (ht), A Thompson for E McGee (ht), Declan Walsh for McGrath (52), L McLoone (0-01) for McBrearty (54), C Toye (1-00) for H McFadden (68), David Walsh for C McFadden (71).
Galway: B O'Donoghue; J Duane, F Hanley, C Sweeney; G Bradshaw, G O'Donnell, L Silke; F Ó Curraoin, T Flynn (0-01); G Sice (0-04, 0-04f), P Conroy (0-01), M Lundy; D Cummins (0-01), A Varley (0-02), D Comer (0-01, 0-01f).
Subs: S Walsh (0-01) for A Varley (57), P Sweeney for Conroy (57), P Og O Griofa for Cummins (63), S Denvir for Lundy (67), M Martin for Flynn (69), E Tierney for Sice (69).
Referee: Eddie Kinsella (Laois).
