Naomh Conaill 0-12
St Eunan’s 2-9
St Eunan’s finished strongly against Naomh Conaill on Sunday afternoon to record a three-point victory at Davy Brennan Memorial Park.
The two sides were all-square as the contest entered additional time but three late scores from Jordan O’Dowd, Kieran Tobin and Noah Barrett secured the win for the visitors.
This encounter got off to a slow start but St Eunan’s managed to find the opening score after six minutes, with Oisin Scanlon finding the target.
Naomh Conaill were playing against a stiff breeze in the opening stanza of this contest.
It took them 13 minutes to get off the mark when John O’Malley converted a short-range free for his side.
The Glenties men soon landed their second score in as many minutes as Ultan Doherty played a one-two with Charles McGuinness before firing the ball over the bar.
The O’Donnell Park residents began to make use of the wind advantage that they held in Act One and they kicked the game’s next four scores.
Brian MacIntyre slotted over a pair of quick fire points for his team before kicking a third shortly afterwards, with the orange flag being raised for the latest of the efforts.
On the 28 minute mark, St Eunan’s landed a big score in the form of a major.
A shot from Dylan Doogan dropped dangerously into the square and Scanlon was on-hand to palm the ball home, stretching their lead to six.
The hosts responded by securing the last point of the first period, with Tiarnan Ward fisting the ball over the bar to leave them trailing by five at the break.
Martin Regan’s men made a positive start to the second stanza as they immediately reduced the arrears to three courtesy of a Stephen McDevitt two-pointer.
St Eunan’s hit back with a well-taken score from Oran Winston.
However, a brilliant two-pointed free from Naomh Conaill’s John O’Malley closed the deficit to two with 20 minutes left on the clock.
The Glenties outfit managed to close the gap to the minimum shortly afterwards as O’Malley found the target again.
The home side began to discover serious momentum heading into the final quarter of the game as O’Malley landed his fifth point of the afternoon before Tiarnan Ward found range from outside the arc, putting them two points ahead.
However, on the 53 minute mark Kieran Donnelly’s charges landed their second goal of the contest to help them to regain the lead.
Conor O’Donnell Snr found Philip Doherty with a good pass who saw his effort well saved by Jordan O’Donnell but the ball fell into the hands of Eoin McGeehin who slotted home into an empty net.
Martin Regan’s men responded well and Stephen McDevitt quickly levelled proceedings at the other end.
The match remained finely poised as the clock entered red at the Glenties venue.
But the Letterkenny side concluded the stronger of the two, kicking three late scores through Jordan O’Dowd, Kieran Tobin and Noah Barrett to seal the win.
Teams
Naomh Conaill: Jordan O’Donnell; AJ Gallagher, Shean Roarty, Logan Quinn; Hugh Gallagher, Ultan Doherty (0-1), Daithi Molloy; Jamie McHugh, Jamie Byrne; Seamus Corcoran, John O’Malley (0-5,1tpf, 0-1f), Shane McDevitt; Stephen McDevitt (0-3,1tp), Charles McGuinness, Tiarnan Ward (0-3,1tp). Subs: Leon Gallagher McDyre for Quinn (half-time), Mark Burke Melly for McGuinness (46 mins), Thomas McDevitt for Doherty (50 mins), Conor Farrell for McHugh (53 mins), Peter McGlynn for Shane McDevitt (58 mins).
St Eunan’s: Christopher O’Donnell; Evan Hickey, Peter Devine, Josh Hay; Noah Barrett (0-1), Kieran Tobin (0-1), Evan Daly; Conor O’Donnell Snr, Luke McGuinness; Brian MacIntyre (0-4,1tp), Dylan Doogan, Oran Winston (0-1); Oisin Scanlon (1-1), Eoin McGeehin (1-0), Padraig McGettigan. Subs: Darragh Mulgrew for Daly (15 mins), Jordan O’Dowd (0-1) for Doogan (43 mins), Philip Doherty for McGettigan (46 mins).
Referee: Cathal Boland (Ardara).