Dungloe 0-18 St Eunan’s 1-18
St Eunan’s are through to the last four of the Donegal SFC but they were given a scare by Dungloe at MacCumhaill Park on Saturday evening.
Kieran Donnelly’s St Eunan’s were awesome in the first half and Eoin McGeehin’s goal helped them into a 1-15 to 0-4 lead at the break.
Dungloe didn’t crumble and they slowly clawed back their deficit.
They almost forced extra-time but Christopher O’Donnell’s piledriver went narrowly wide.
There was no Ciaran Moore or Niall O’Donnell in the starting line-up for St Eunan’s but they opened the scoring after 37 seconds through Conor O’Donnell Jnr.
Dungloe levelled from a Ryan Connors free after they pressed up the field and forced Caolan Ward to over-carry.
St Eunan’s then started to find their stride and Conor O’Donnell Jnr kicked a free and a point from play while Oran Winston also slotted over.
Luke Clerkin replied with a free but Oran Winston soon cancelled that out and they then stole the resulting kick-out on the left wing.
They worked the play inside and Eoin McGeehin worked a one-two with Conor O’Donnell Jnr before palming into the empty net.
Dungloe were living off scraps, and on the few occasions they did get their hands on the ball, St Eunan’s were soon able to swarm around them.
The Letterkenny men kept the scoreboard ticking with Shaun Patton registering a two-point free while Eoin McGeehin and Shane O’Donnell also raised white flags.
Dungloe went 16 minutes without a score before Oisin Bonner curled over.
Conor O’Donnell Jnr and Aaron Neely swapped points to leave eight points between the sides but St Eunan’s kicked on again late in the half.
Dylan Doogan drilled over a two-pointer and Eoin Dowling swivelled and notched a score off his left.
Conor O’Donnell Snr then had the final say of the first half as he nonchalantly drilled over a two-pointer and St Eunan’s were coasting with a 1-15 to 0-4 lead at the break.
It was a long way back for the Rosses side but they brought fight to the third quarter.
Clerkin raised an orange flag from a free while Conor O’Donnell also kicked a good point.
Dungloe needed a goal but Darren Curran spurned a good opportunity after he collected a dropping shot.
Danny McCready and Barry Curran (two-pointer) were on target to reduce the deficit to eight.
St Eunan’s were struggling to pick up Patton’s kick-outs and it took them 16 minutes in the second half before Conor O’Donnell Jnr fired over.
Dungloe responded with a free from McCready and a lovely score from Neely and Niall O’Donnell was sent on to try and steady St Eunan’s.
Ryan Connors hit a two-pointer for Dungloe to leave the gap at five and St Eunan’s had a nervous escape as Patton was running back to his goal as Karl Magee’s effort struck the post.
Christopher O’Donnell did fire over from an acute angle and the Dungloe supporters were certainly getting behind their team.
However, St Eunan’s regained their composure and Christopher O’Donnell Jnr converted two frees.
Dungloe refused to wilt and Danny McCready lofted over a two-pointer and then a free to leave just three between the sides with 62 minutes played.
They had one final opportunity to force extra-time but Christopher O’Donnell’s effort went narrowly wide and St Eunan’s advance to the last four.
Dungloe: Damien McGowan; Mark Curran, Aaron Ward, Jason McBride; Aaron Neely (0-2), Conor O’Donnell (0-1), Karl Magee; Darren Curran, Matthew Ward; Dylan Sweeney, Daire Gallagher, Luke Clerkin (0-3, 1tpf, 1f), Barry Curran (0-2, 1tp), Ryan Connors (0-3, 1tp), Oisin Bonner (0-1). Subs: Christopher O’Donnell (0-1) and Shaun McGee for Sweeney and Bonner (Half-time), Danny McCready (0-5, 1tp, 1f) for M.Ward (40 mins), Dylan Sweeney for D.Gallagher (65 mins).
St Eunan’s: Shaun Patton (0-2, 1tpf); Noah Barrett, Caolan Ward, Josh Hay; James Kelly, Kieran Tobin, Luke McGuinness; Sean McGettigan, Eoin Dowling (0-1); Oran Winston (0-2), Conor O’Donnell Snr (0-2, 1tp), Shane O’Donnell (0-1); Dylan Doogan (0-2, 1tp), Eoin McGeehin (1-1), Conor O’Donnell Jnr (0-7, 4fs). Subs: Niall O’Donnell for Kelly (49 mins), Peter Devine for Hay (56 mins), Padraig McGettigan for Doogan (58 mins).
Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gaeil Fhánada).