CLOUGHANEELY WERE FOUR points down to Glenswilly but still came back to win a low-scoring NRB Division 2 Minor Championship final this evening in Convoy.
Cloughaneely 1-4 Glenswilly 0-5
In awkward conditions at St Mary’s Park, it was the dead ball abilities of Jason McGee, the Donegal minors’ joint-captain this year, who scored a second half penalty and three frees in all in Cloughaneely’s win.
Photo caption: The Cloughaneely panel celebrate their victory over Glenswilly in the NRB Division 2 Minor Championship  final this evening in Convoy
The penalty, on 40 minutes marked something of a turning point. At that stage, Glenswilly, who were 0-4 to 0-3 up, lost their goalkeeper Cian Randles to a black card for fouling Aidan Doohan, who had turned excellently to open up a chance on goal.
[adrotate group=”59″]Ben O’Connor was hurriedly thrown on in goal for the penalty, which was dispatched by McGee, who added a free then seven minutes from time to set up a 1-4 to 0-4 lead.
Glenswilly, who scored their penultimate point from play as early as the 24th minute, didn’t get on the scoresheet again until Shane McDevitt’s free in the last minute.
Cloughaneely midfielder Jason McGee getting presented with his man of the match award in the Northern Regional Board Division 2 Minor Championship final by Darren McElwaine, Marketing Manager of Arena7, Letterkenny
However, they had possessed a goal threat all evening and almost produced an unlikely victory when full-back Mark McAteer got a slap on the ball in a crowded square in injury time, only for Shane Corless in the Cloughaneely goal to get down and save at the base of his post.
In the first half, it was Glenswilly who found their feet better with the partial aid of a diagonal breeze. They popped over the first four points, with Patrick Doherty, McDevitt, Tarlach O’Boyle and Martin McGinley all on the mark from play.
As well as that, McDevitt had gone close, only to shoot wide when in on goal. Cloughaneely finally got off the mark from a McGee free on 26 minutes. However, the Falcarragh-based team were indebted to their goalkeeper Corless again late in the half as he saved from Conor Boyle.
At 0-4 to 0-1 down at the break, Cloughaneely manufactured an excellent point from Doohan following a flowing move at the start of the second half, their only score from play.
Glenswilly went close in their search for goal again on 36 minutes when O’Boyle saw his shot deflect wide for a 45 in a crowded square following Boyle’s ball in.
However, McGee then pulled one back for Cloughaneely, to leave their deficit at 0-4 to 0-3 before the penalty was awarded that got their noses in front.
From then, they defended willingly as Glenswilly piled forward and did enough to set up an All-County semi-final against Killybegs, while Glenswilly will face St Naul’s.
[adrotate group=”38″]Cloughaneely: Shane Corless; Fionn McGinley, Noel Sweeney, Andrew Doohan; Aaron Conlon, Michael Mulhern, Caolan McGinley; Jason McGee (1-3, 1-0 pen, 3f), Denis Coll; Aidan Doohan (0-1), Sean Geaney; Odhran McBride, Michael McHugh, Michael Fitzgerald. Subs: Conor Doogan for Conlon (35, black card), Brian Boyle for McBride (50), Cormac Coyle for Geaney (57).
Glenswilly: Cian Randles; Caolan Carberry, Mark McAteer, Peter Gallagher; Patrick Doherty (0-1), Cormac Gallagher, Shane McDaid; Conor Faul, Conor Boyle; Evan Dunleavy, Ciaran Hunter, Odhran Black; Tarlach O’Boyle (0-1), Shane McDevitt (0-2, 1f), Martin McGinley (0-1). Sub: Ben O’Connor for Randles (41, black card).
Referee: Michael Mulhern (St Eunan’s).
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