ST EUNAN’S DELIVERED YET another reminder of their big game nous as they reached their 8th county final in eleven years.
St Eunan’s 2-15 St Michael’s 0-11
Second-half goals by Lee McMonagle and Conor Parke sank St Michael’s and the old black and amber dogs head down the familiar road into October, still standing ominously tall.
They’d inched back ahead through a pair of brilliant long-range frees by Rory Carr – after St Michael’s enjoyed the better start to the second half – when McMonagle bagged the opeing goal in the 44th minute.
A mix-up in the St Michael’s rearguard enabled Kevin Rafferty to knock on to McMonagle and he did the rest with a cool finish.
Ten minutes from the end, Conor Parke stunned St Michael’s with a second St Eunan’s goal.
Parke raced onto Caolan Ward and, with the ‘keeper well off his line, the wing back’s wonderful lobbed effort was neatly placed into the far corner.
St Michael’s were 0-8 to 0-6 in arrears at half-time, but they threatened to turn the game on its head with the opening four points of the second half, two of them coming from goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley, one a free and the other a ’45.
McGinley then minded the house with a fine save to deny Sean McVeigh, but he was powerless when McMonagle and Parke broke the resistence.
It was St Eunan’s, again, at their ruthless best, while St Michael’s again face a summer of what ifs after another big day defeat, this their third semi-final defeat to St Eunan’s.
The Letterkenny team look like a side with lofty ambition and whoever they face in the county final next month certainly won’t relish a date with Maxi Curran’s meticulous machine.
They had slow starts to both halves here, but panic isn’t in their vocabulary and, like all good teams, they found a way and they handed St Michael’s their coats having been similarly impressive in the quarter-final win over Glenswilly.
After just 12 seconds, Martin McElhinney smashed over after powering his way through from the throw-in and the Donegal midfielder might well have gone for a goal.
Lee Carr doubled the advantage, but Carr, from a 45-metre free and Conall Dunne drew Eunan’s level, but it took a fantastic save from John Paul Clarke to keep the sheet clean.
Colm McFadden’s majestic leap and fetch set McElhinney on his way again and he fed Christy Toye with a threaded pass, but Toye’s powerful shot was beaten away by Clarke.
Having been blown up for touching the ball on the turf, Clarke saw McFadden kick Eunan’s ahead, but the damage could have been much worse but for his strong save.
McFadden took a pass from veteran Brian McLaughlin to launch St Michael’s into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead in the 14th minute, but the team in red lost their way in the black and amber forest for a time and the game began to creep away from them.
The influence of Rafferty was growing by the minute and the former Donegal midfielder scored two-in-a-row to level it up before another attempt tailed just wide.
Eunan’s led for the first time when Dunne tapped over a free after McGinley was penalised for touching the ball on the ground.
Dunne, from another free, and Carr put St Eunan’s three in front and St Michael’s were certainly pleased to be within two points at the break as they played second fiddle in most sectors during the second quarter.
McFadden landed a magnificent free from just past the ’45 for the first St Michael’s score in 15 minutes, but Lee McMonagle restored the three-point advantage.
With the final play of the opening half, St Michael’s might well have sneaked in for a goal, but Carr went for the safe option of a point after good approach play by Antoin McFadden and Ciaran Gallagher carved out an opening.
It was the third time St Michael’s were in for a goal, but St Eunan’s parted for the interval holding the aces and leading 0-8 to 0-6.
St Michael’s came with a mini purple patch, but St Eunan’s upped the ante, St Michael’s scored just once thereafter and the black and amber flag will again be hoisted above Sean MacCumhaill Park on county final Sunday.
St Eunan’s: John Paul Clarke; Conor Parke (1-0), Sean Hensey, Eamonn Doherty; Conor Gibbons, Caolan Ward, Peter Devine, Kevin Rafferty (0-2), Rory Kavanagh; Conor Morrison, John Haran, Sean McVeigh; Conall Dunne (0-4, 3f), Rory Carr (0-6, 3f), Lee McMonagle (1-2). Subs: Mark McGowan for Morrison (32), Patrick McGowan (0-1) for Haran (47), Kieran Sharkey for Gibbons (59), Conor O’Donnell for McVeigh (59), Conal McGinley for Carr (60), Mícheál Martin for Devine (60).
St Michael’s: Mark Anthony McGinley (0-2, 1f, 1 ’45); Michael Gallagher, Stephen Doak, Peter Witherow; Liam Paul Ferry, Michael McGinley, Daniel McLaughlin; Christy Toye, Martin McElhinney (0-1); Michael Cannon, Ciaran Gallagher, Lee Carr (0-2); Colm McFadden (0-4, 3f), Brian McLaughlin, Andrew Kelly (0-2, 2f). Subs: Antoin McFadden for B.McLaughlin (28), Michael Langan for Cannon (39), Brendan Rodden for Doak (47), Ryan Langan for Michael Mcginley (59).
Referee: Andrew Mullin (Killybegs)
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