A goal by Ryan Kelly just 15 seconds into the second-half set up this victory for Red Hughs in a hard fought Donegal JFC quarter-final at The Scarvey in Buncrana.
Red Hughs 1-9 Moville 1-7
Red Hughs trailed by one point at half-time but an excellent goal by Ryan Kelly followed by Damian Browne’s fifth point from a free had them three points ahead by the third minute of the half.
Remarkably they would not scored again for 31 minutes but would still hang on to advance to an semi-final meeting with Letterkenny Gaels next weekend.
Red Hughs had plenty of possession in that second-half but so had Moville who could only manage to score two points themselves both from the outstanding Ciaran Diver, but that just isn’t good enough if you hope to win a championship match and such was the case here.
The Killygordan men raced into a early four point lead – Damian Browne converted two frees and in between those Oran Doherty and Peader McGlinchey pointed from play, Doherty after great play by Jonny Carlin.
Ciaran Diver finally got Moville on the scoresheet with an excellent point but Browne restored the four point lead with another free in the 21st minute.
Moville then hit a purple patch: Christy Hegarty and Diver inside a minute and then Diver blasted home a super goal , taking Michael Barr’s pass to end a fine build up and put Moville ahead for the first time at 1-03 to 0-05 in the 24th minute.
The teams then shared four points in the remaining minutes of the half, Pauric McMenamin and Browne’s free for Red Hughs and in between Barr and Diver for Moville both from play to leave it 1-5 to 0-7 at the break.
It only took Red Hughs 15 seconds to take the lead, a sweeping move ended with Peadar McGlinchey finding the fast moving Ryan Kelly who blasted into the roof of Dylan Doherty’s net.
The rest of the half produced only four more points – Damian Browne’s free in the 33rd minute, Ciaran Diver (one a free and one from play) and then after both teams had squandered a number of good chances, Red Hughs sub Colm Melaugh kicked the game’s final score in the 64th minute, 31 minutes after his team’s last score to leave it 1-09 to 1-07 and Moville perhaps wondering what might have been.
Red Hughs – last year’s beaten finalists – move on to meet Letterkenny Gaels in the semi-final knowing that they will need to improve if they are to reach another final.
Moville: Dylan Doherty; Eoghan Gillen, Eamonn Reddin, Declan Diver; Eunan Hegarty, Enda Faulkner, Joe McBride; Tony McClenaghan, Malachy McDermott; Michael Barr (0-1) , Ciaran Diver (1-5, 1f), Padhraic Skelly; Seamus Hegarty, Christy Hegarty (0-1) , Paddy Faulkner. Subs: Danny Murphy for Reddin (black-card, 35) , Ryan McDermott for C.Hegarty (45).
Red Hughs: Ciaran Kelly; Shane McGlinchey, Eugene Browne, Gary Kelly; Gerard Melaugh, Stephen McMenamin, Ryan Kelly (1-0), Thomas McMenamin, Peadar McGlinchey (0-1), Odhran Doherty (0-1), Pauric McMenamin (0-1) , Jonny Carlin; Calvin Bradley, Damian Browne (0-5f), Shane Gallagher. Subs: Sean Sweeney for E Browne (29) Colm Melaugh (0-1) (56), James Carlin for Bradley (60).
Referee: Shaun Mc Laughlin (Malin).
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