Goals win matches and Donegal hit two - the first a real killer as they outgunned a youthful Fermanagh side in the second half in O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny.

Donegal were leading by a mere two points on a score of 0-07 to 0-05 five minutes into the second half when they struck for a vital goal, and they never looked back.

It took the winners almost 40 minutes to decipher a well-drilled Fermanagh side and when they did, Jim McGuinness’s men inflicted a crushing defeat on the visitors at O’Donnell Park.

But they were helped by Fermanagh keeper Ross Bogue who was caught in no man’s land allowing man of the match, Dáire Ó’Baoill, to lob the ball into an empty net in the 41st minute.

A five-point gap was opened in a heartbeat and Fermanagh never recovered as the home side steamed well clear in a most one-sided second half.

Kieran Donnelly understandably took off his two Sigerson players Ronan McCaffrey and Josh Largo-Ellis as well as Garvan Jones, Brandon Horan, Conor McShea and Garvan Jones as he looks towards a vital test against Cork.

Fermanagh gave the home side plenty to think about in the opening half and were a little unlucky to trail by a point as Donegal led by 0-06 to 0-05 at the break.

Donegal were leading by 0-8 to 0-6 five minutes into the second half before Bogue was caught well off his line leaving Ó’Baoill the simple task of lobbing the ball to the Fermanagh net to give them vital momentum which they never lost.

Fermanagh began brightly and the impressive Sean Cassidy opened the scoring after an intricate move with a well-executed point in the 6th minute.

The Ernesiders had most of the possession and Cassidy converted a 25-metre free after the lively Ultán Kelm was fouled.

It took the somewhat tentative home side 12 minutes to get off the mark as Ó’Baoill thumped over a great point from 35 metres.

Fermanagh stretched their lead as team captain Declan McCusker pointed from a mark.

Donegal were growing into the game but hit four wides on the spin.

Cassidy called a mark and put Fermanagh into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead by the 16th minute to which Oisin Gallen replied with a pointed free two minutes later.

Ó’Baoill then levelled matters with a mighty strike that saw the ball curl over the bar from 35 metres. The home side took the lead for the first time in the 27th minute when the increasingly influential Gallen pointed after Lee Cullen clattered into Ryan McHugh earning a free and a yellow card.

But, underdogs Fermanagh showed they meant business as Conor McGee curled over a beauty from the wing to level matters again.

And it took another massive point from the brilliant Ó’Baoill to edge the somewhat patchy favourites in front at the break against a well-organized Fermanagh side as they led by 0-06 to 0-05.

Fermanagh got the first score of the second half through Brandon Horan but they could only score two more points over the remainder of the game through Diarmuid King and Tiarnan Bogue as Donegal cantered to victory.

The rout began after Ó’Baoill’s first goal in the 41st minute and he netted another five minutes later.

Michael Langan, McHugh and Paddy McBrearty landed some fine points and it took a brilliant save on the line from Fermanagh’s Largo-Eliis to prevent another goal with Bogue again well off his line.

Gallen had a similar chance in the dying minutes, but he chose to take a point as Donegal ran out comfortable winners in the end, 2-16 to 0-08

Donegal: S Patton; K McGettigan; B McCole; S McMenamin; R McHugh; C Moore; D Ó’Baoill (2-03); C McGonagle;  C Thompson; M Langan (0-01); O Doherty; P Mogan (0-01); P McBrearty (0-03, 3f); O Gallen (0-02, 2f); J Brennan.

Subs: M Curran (0-01) for McGettigan and A Doherty (0-02) for Brennan (H/T); J MacCeallbhui (0-02) for Thompson (39); H McFadden for Moore (53); L McGlynn for Doherty (56); D MacGiolla Bride for Langan (58).

Fermanagh: R Bogue; L Cullen; C Cullen; O Smyth; D McCusker (0-01, 1m); S McGullion, J Largo-Ellis; B Horan (0-1); J McDade; C McGee (0-01); R McCaffrey; C McShea; U Kelm; G Jones; S Cassidy (0-03,1f, 1m)

Subs: T Bogue (0-01,1m) for McCaffrey; D King (0-01) for Jones; C McManus for Largo-Ellis (all 53); C Jones for Horan (60); J McMahon for McShea (63).

Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford).