THE County final delivered with a great game of football and it proved to be another super Sunday for St Eunan’s in what has been a memorable season.
‘Eunan’s got the better of Naomh Conaill by one point in a thrilling finish in MacCumhaill Park.
It was a big result for the black and amber and you could see what it meant to their players and supporters after the match.
I always say that it is good for Donegal GAA when St Eunan’s are pushing for titles.
They have the biggest population in the county but that doesn’t always mean they will be dominant.
There are plenty of big towns throughout the country that are not performing at present, and you look at the likes of Omagh, who have been relegated to Intermediate football in Tyrone.
It is an historic season for St Eunan’s because for the first time they have won the senior football, senior hurling and senior ladies titles.
Add in the Senior ‘B’ title as well as the Under 14 and Under 16 Championships, and the loyal club folk out in O’Donnell Park will be smiling this week.
Last Sunday started off well for St Eunan’s as they won the Reserve crown.
It wasn’t a great game of football as St Eunan’s defeated Four Masters by 0-12 to 0-6, with both teams standing off a bit too much.
The senior final threatened to go down the same path even though there were ideal conditions for football.
There were some good scores, particularly from Ciarán Thompson but the first half lacked a bit of championship edge.
Ethan
However, from the moment Ethan O’Donnell drilled in that goal, we got the intensity we wanted and the final 25 minutes was brilliant fare.
It was interesting that Ethan was straight into the Naomh Conaill team after returning from Australia. Those are big calls for the management when you have lads at home training all year but Ethan is a quality operator and you can understand why he was put in.
Some of the score-taking was terrific, with Shea Malone in good form in the second half and John O’Malley got a beauty as well.
St Eunan’s got a scrappy enough goal with James Kelly doing well to finish it off.
However, it looked like Naomh Conaill were going to do what they so often do, and take the victory down the home stretch.
They moved two in front with two minutes to go and it looked like it was nearly curtains at that stage.
However, then Niall O’Donnell got the ball and nailed a fantastic two-pointer for his team.
It was a pressure kick and it definitely wasn’t the percentage kick but I’ve known Niall a long time and he’s more than capable of doing it.
He backed himself and it proved to be a great leveller.
Naomh Conaill did very well to win the next kick-out and you were thinking they’ll kill the clock down and then go for it.
But as it happened, they probably got through a little easier than people might have expected.
I know some people are saying Odhran Doherty should have recycled the ball out but he’s a good shooter and the shot was on. We all remember his memorable effort in the Ulster Final two years ago for Donegal.
Odhran was brave and it didn’t pay off on the day.
Shaun Patton collected the ball and worked it to Shane O’Donnell who found his brother Niall with a fist pass.
Kieran Tobin showed good desire to get ahead of the ball and Niall found with a great pass.
And suddenly it was all open up for Tobin to release Ciaran Moore to score the winner.
Moore’s athleticism is frightening and he gets so many scores at the end of matches when the opposition are exhausted.
There was no time for Naomh Conaill to come back and it was left to Conor O’Donnell Snr to lift the cup.
It was a sweet one for St Eunan’s and a lot of credit has to go to their manager Kieran Donnelly, who is a calm presence on the sideline.
There’s a lot of good players within the St Eunan’s club but there’s plenty going on with county commitments and so on, and it’s not easy to knit it all together.
It will be a tough defeat for Naomh Conaill to stomach as they were only two minutes away from glory. But in the new game, things can turn quickly.
The loss of Kieran Gallagher and Eoghan McGettigan was huge and they missed that pair.
Finnbarr Roarty had a good battle with Shane O’Donnell in what is expected to be his last game before he heads to the AFL.
Being fit and able to shadow someone like Shane shows the calibre of Finnbarr and he will be a huge loss to club and county.
There’s been a lot of talk this week about compensation for clubs and so on, but young lads will always be tempted by the prospect of professional sport.
Now what I do find strange is that the GAA are in talks to start playing International Rules once again.
To me that just creates an extra window for AFL teams to have a look at our best young players.
Naomh Conaill will be back. There has been a bit of a changing of the guard this year with Anthony Thompson and Leo McLoone struggling with injury.
I’m sure they would have been a big part of the set-up but they weren’t playing and the likes of young Daithi Molloy stepped in and looks a real prospect.
Naomh Conaill have plenty of talent and will still be at the top table in the years to come.
However, it is St Eunan’s year and there is a sense that they mightn’t be finished yet.
Ulster Club
The Ulster Club Championship is a difficult competition and there are no easy games.
St Eunan’s have had some tough draws in recent years against the likes of Watty Grahams and Errigal Ciaran, who showed they were All-Ireland contenders.
They are probably happy enough to go up against the Fermanagh champions but I know from my own experience that it won’t be easy whether it’s Erne Gaels or Derrygonnelly.
I managed Erne Gaels for two years and they are an excellent club with some fine players.
They have had some real ding-dong battles with Derrygonnelly down through the years, and I expect it to be tight in Sunday’s final.
Kieran Donnelly knows the Fermanagh scene very well of course and that will help.
I’m sure St Eunan’s will be putting in a big push and they are one of a number of strong teams in Ulster.
Scotstown are the defending champions and are looking strong, while Gowna won the Cavan title in style.
Crossmaglen are the Armagh champions once again and they have a lot of quality while the Derry winners will be decent whether it’s Newbridge or Magherafelt.
The Tyrone final went to a replay after Edendork and Errigal Ciaran drew and it could be tight again on Friday night if Darragh Canavan is missing.
It’s always an exciting time of the year and St Eunan’s will bring confidence into Ulster.