Four Masters 0-6 St Eunan’s 0-12
ST EUNAN’S won the Senior ‘B’ Championship title for the first time in five years as they got the better of Four Masters in Sunday’s curtain-raiser.
It was ideal conditions for the match but the fare was disappointing on the day.
St Eunan’s were 0-6 to 0-3 ahead at the half-time and Four Masters struggled in front of the posts throughout.
The Letterkenny men were always in control and went home with the silverware.
Four Masters had eased past Sean MacCumhaills in the semi-final while St Eunan’s dethroned Naomh Conaill in the last four.
Conor Meehan opened the scoring for Four Masters with a free.
St Eunan’s soon settled and Pauric Boyle and Sam Harvey both notched good points from play.
Meehan made a lively start for Masters and he boomed over a two-pointer.
St Eunan’s hit the next two points of the match from Daragh Mulgrew and Lee McMonagle (free).
The standard dipped after that with both sides guilty of some poor misses.
Patrick McGonagle had a sniff at goal saved by Christopher O’Donnell, while at the other end, McMonagle was denied by a fine block from Ross O’Keeney.
Fifteen minutes elapsed without a score before Evan Daly drilled over a two-point free.
St Eunan’s were 0-6 to 0-3 ahead at the break but Meehan reduced the gap in the 33rd minute with a free.
Masters were wasteful in front of the posts and the game soon started to slip away.
Conor Doherty hit a great point for ‘Eunan’s and McMonagle then registered a quickfire double.
Odhran McMullin pulled a point back for Masters but it was hard work to even work the ball into scoring positions.
The Donegal Town side were then reduced to 14 players when Evan Gallagher was shown a straight red card after lashing out at Lee McMonagle.
Evan Hickey and Cian Gavigan (free) exchanged points as the game petered out.
Daly – a county minor last year – showed his class late on with a fine two-point free and he fist-pumped to the crowd as St Eunan’s claimed a deserved victory.
Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Brian Fegan, Aidan McHugh, Ross O’Keeney; Cian Gavigan (0-1, 1f), Jamie McCrea, Leo McGowan; Darragh Griffin, Evan Gallagher; Emmet Doogan, Patrick McGonagle, Alan McHugh; Conor Meehan (0-4, 2fs,1tp), Calum Dunnion, Daniel McIntyre. Subs: Jack McGroarty for Griffin (38 mins), Odhran McMullin (0-1) for McGowan (40 mins), Ethan McNulty for Dunnion (47 mins), Sean O’Kennedy for McIntyre (56 mins).
St Eunan’s: Christopher O’Donnell; Conor Doherty (0-1), Darragh Toal, Conor Parke; Evan Hickey (0-1), Eamonn Doherty, Senan Martin; Cian McMonagle, Darragh Mulgrew (0-1); Evan Daly (0-4, 2tpfs), Philip Doherty, David O’Donnell; Pauric Boyle (0-1), Lee McMonagle (0-3, 2fs), Sam Harvey (0-1). Subs: Odhran Ryan for D.O’Donnell (36 mins), Jack Robinson for Doherty (43 mins), Sean Ryan for McMonagle (52 mins), Thomas Roache and Oisin Scanlon for Boyle and McMonagle (60 mins).
Referee: Kevin McGinley (Naomh Columba).