JUST WHEN THEY were preparing for penalties, Ronan McKinley popped up with a winner that finally broke the Royal and Prior resistance to send St Eunan’s into the Ulster Under-16 quarter-finals.
Royal and Prior, Raphoe 1 St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny 2
after extra time
There were only eight minutes of extra time remaining when McKinley struck to sink the Royal and Prior, who defended manfully in the space of wave after wave of St Eunan’s attack.
The Raphoe scholars had forced extra time through a combination of their stout defence and a cracking goal by Jack Parke that cancelled out Jordan Nugent’s opener.
Picture caption: The St Eunan’s College team that defeated the Royal and Prior.
St Eunan’s, the away side, dominated proceedings, but only put the Royal away when substitute McKinley struck.
Finnian O’Donnell had only been on the field a matter of seconds when he scampered clear and saw his cross fall to McKinley. Despite a crowded surrounding, McKinley took a touch and calmly tucked past Declan Dolan, the Royal and Prior goalkeeper.
Eunan’s might have added a third, but Nugent had a shot deflected wide after a brilliant run by Daragh Ellison.
St Eunan’s burst from the blocks and Jack Murphy’s teasing in-swinging corner evaded an entire box only for James Wilson to clear off the line.
Dolan wonderfully denied Nicholas McLaughlin, following good inter-play by Ellison and Jamie Grant, while Dolan turned over a powerful shot by Nugent in the 20th minute.
St Eunan’s broke the deadlock a minute later. Murphy’s shot was only parried by Dolan and Nugent slotted home.
Dolan had to be alert to save again, this time from a hooked attempt by Nugent.
At the other end, the Royal and Prior were limited in chances.
Nathan Maxwell did force Dylan Doogan into a rare save, but a it was rare that they found a way past a Eunan’s rearguard that was well marshalled by Charlie White.
12 minutes into the second half, the Royal and Prior drew level as Parke majestically delivered a 35-yard free-kick over the wall and past Doogan for a superb equaliser.
St Eunan’s turned the screw in the final ten minutes and might have been awarded a penalty when McLaughlin’s shot, after a superb piece of skill took him away from Phillip Gallagher, appeared to strike the arm of a Royal and Prior defender. Referee Marty Quinn thought otherwise.
The Royal and Prior, Raphoe team
Grant did beat Dolan, but an enterprising effort cannoned back off the crossbar and the follow-up from McLaughlin was inches wide.
Grant and McKinley both had chances, but extra time was required to separate them.
At that moment when penalties began to enter the minds, McKinley proved to be the match-winner, with a goal that the watching BJ Banda – a student at the Royal and Prior – could relate with.
Royal and Prior, Raphoe: Declan Dolan; Robert Kee, Jack Duffy, Phillip Gallagher, Conor Bowe; Jack Smith, Dillon Woods (Reece Wasson ’67), Jack Parke; James Wilson, Harry Howarth (Paul McElhatton ’46), Nathan Maxwell.
St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny: Dylan Doogan; Kieran Tobin, Charlie White, Dylan O’Brien, Eoin Dowling (Reece Mullen, half-time); Connor O’Reilly, Daragh Ellison, Jordan Nugent, Jamie Grant (Dean Murray ’70); Jack Murphy (Ronan McKinley ’55); Nicholas McLaughlin (Finnian O’Donnell ’80).
Referee: Marty Quinn.
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