THREE FIRST-HALF goals paved the way for St Eunan’s to win a 17th Minor Division 1 Football Championship despite a gallant Naomh Conaill’s response after the break.
St Eunan’s 3-6 Naomh Conaill 0-12
In an emphatic first 30 minutes, the Letterkenny side, who are under the joint-management of Eddie Brennan, Paul Carr and Ciaran Maguire, built themselves a cushion, going in 3-4 to 0-4 at half-time.
However, they would score just two points in the second half, missing three more goal chances as Naomh Conaill stormed back but their inability to score a goal was perhaps what stunted the side from Davy Brennan Memorial Park the most.
But their following could still be immensely proud of the effort put in by their players, many of whom were in tears by the final whistle.
At 0-2 to 0-1 up, St Eunan’s started to flex their muscles and on 11 minutes were awarded a penalty when Eoghan McGettigan was adjudged to have fouled Kevin Kealy by referee Robbie O’Donnell.
The penalty was expertly dispatched, placed into the top corner by Ciaran Maloney.
With Rory Carr’s influence growing and Naomh Conaill struggling to deal with his threat both in the air and on the ground, a second St Eunan’s goal arrived on 18 minutes.
Carr got out in front of Charlie McDonnell and having slid to win possession, spun off and got in behind the blue wave to get in on Tony Byrne, the Naomh Conaill goalkeeper. Opting to take it around Byrne, Carr’s finish was perfect from the angle.
And with Naomh Conaill still reeling, St Eunan’s made it 3-2 to 0-2 from their next attack, on 20 minutes, when Carr was again the target – this time from a Maloney raker – and when the ball broke, Jake Whelan volleyed it past Byrne.
Naomh Conaill were shell-shocked and by half-time still hadn’t kicked a point from play. St Eunan’s, who finished the half with a well-worked Whelan point, were nine points up and had nine fingers on the cup.
McGettigan pointed another free at the start of the second half and then, on 38 minutes, posted his side’s first score from play.
Moments later at the other end, Oisin Toal got in for what might’ve been a fourth goal only for Byrne to save before another McGettigan point and one from Jono Molloy brought Naomh Conaill back to just five down, 3-4 to 0-8. Naomh Conaill were starting to believe.
In-between those scores, Carr managed to get around Byrne in the Naomh Conaill goal only for Oliver Stanislawczyk to save on the line. Ethan O’Donnell’s free for Michael O’Donnell’s Naomh Conaill was their fifth point in succession. Thirteen minutes remained.
Naomh Conaill were in the ascendency and might’ve trimmed their arrears further had Sean Halvey not cleared off the line from Cian Doherty. As it was, Ciaran Gallagher made it six points in a row for the Glenties team.
St Eunan’s finally broke their second half duck to relieve the pressure when wing-back Kealy pointed on 54 minutes. It put them four up, 3-5 to 0-10, but St Eunan’s Niall O’Donnell starved of possession inside, Naomh Conaill’s Ethan O’Donnell cancelled our Kealy’s score within seconds.
St Eunan’s saw Maloney get in for another great chance on the break but his shot at goal trickled just wide with two minutes to go. A late Niall O’Donnell free finally put paid to any chance of a Great Escape for Naomh Conaill as the foundation stones that St Eunan’s built in the first half stayed intact. Just.
St Eunan’s: Matthew Gallagher; Conor Moore, Darragh Mcwalters, Sean Halvey; Brian MacIntyre, Darragh Toal, Kevin Kealy (0-1); Oisin Toal, Kevin Grant; Oisin O’Boyle (0-1), Niall O’Donnell (0-2, 2f), Ciaran Maloney (1-0, 1f); Odhrán McGinley, Rory Carr (1-1, 45), Jake Whelan (1-1). Subs: Padraig McAleer for Moore (52), Ciaran Kelly for O’Boyle (56), Dean Hamilton for Whelan (60)
Naomh Conaill: Tony Byrne; Ultan Doherty, Charles McDonnell, Oliver Stanislawczyk; Cian Doherty, Logan Quinn, Matias McKelvey; Ethan O’Donnell (0-4, 3f), Reece McDyer; Eoghan McGettigan (0-6, 4f), Paul McGuinness, David Keeney; Jack Flannery, Ciaran Gallagher (0-1), JD Boyle. Subs: Jono Molloy (0-1) for Keeney (30),
Referee: Robbie O’Donnell (Naomh Muire).
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