St Patricks Academy, Dungannon 2-13 Southwest Donegal 0-14
BY KEVIN KELLY
Southwest Donegal bowed out of this season’s Danske Bank MacRory Cup when they lost out to a strong St Patricks Academy Dungannon in their last 16 clash in Stewartstown on Wednesday afternoon.
A brilliant two-pointer from midfielder Joey Coll reduced the deficit to 0-8 to 0-6 early in the second half but a fancied Dungannon side didn’t panic and goals from Liam McGeary and Darragh Devlin helped put the issue beyond any doubt.
Despite playing against the wind the winners registered the opening five points all from different players as James Mulgrew, Devlin, Aodhan Quinn, Charlie Maguire and Michael Hughes all found the range.
A Shane Sweeney free opened Southwest’s account and after the same player had added a point from play Stephen McDevitt scored from a placed ball as well.
Eoin Long converted a Dungannon free before a seventh different player for the Tyrone School hit the target, Jonah Feeney the player. Gavin Sweeney responded for Southwest but they had lost McDevitt to a black card by that stage and they were fortunate to survive a late scare in the half as Quinn rattled their bar to leave it 0-7 to 0-4 at the break.
Long opened the second half scoring from a free but then came that brilliant effort from Gaoth Dobhair’s Coll. McDevitt was back in the action at that stage and he split the posts to leave only the minimum between the two sides. It was anybody’s game at that stage but a couple of wides blunted the Southwest challenge.
Dungannon on the other hand grew in stature as they began to run at the Southwest defence. All Ireland Minor winning midfielder Mulgrew drove through for a point before Long tagged on another point from a free. In the 38th minute the first goal arrived as Dungannon carved open the Donegal defence with a flowing move that finished with Mulgrew exchanging passes with Long before setting up Liam McGeary for a palmed goal.
At the end of the third quarter it was effectively game over when Devlin fired low to the net to leave the difference double scores, 2-10 to 0-8. Long and team Captain Davin McKeown both added points as Dungannon turned the screw.
To their credit Southwest Donegal kept battling away with McDevitt and Gavin Sweeney both raising white flags. With the last kick of the game Shane Sweeney raised an orange flag from a well struck free into the wind but their spirited challenge came up short.
