GLENSWILLY RETAINED THE Donegal Senior C Championship as three second half goals enabled them to come from five points down to overcome St Eunan’s in Dunfanaghy.
Glenswilly 3-4 St Eunan’s 2-6
Chris Carberry, Kevin Cunningham and Michael McDaid were the goalscorers to make sure the cup stays for another 12 months in Glenswilly, following their victory over Naomh Conaill last year. Today it was a victory perhaps for experience over innocence.
A fortuitous first minute goal gave the Letterkenny side something to hold onto. Only 40 seconds had been played with John Cavanagh, presumably, shot for a point but the ball held up in the Dunfanghy gale and deceived Cathal McGinley in the Glenswilly goal as it flew straight into the top corner.
With conditions awkward and the wind blowing towards Horn Head, a goal was always going to be a significant score. Glenswilly, though, at least knew they’d plenty of time to work with.
McGinty, 10 minutes later, was a tad fortunate as a long ranger from Brandon Jordan was allowed bounce and the Glenswilly netminder was content enough to concede a 45.
On 17 minutes, with the score 1-1 to 0-1 for St Eunan’s after Michael Moreton and Gerard McGrenra had exchanged frees, John McIntyre got in on goal, only to drive low and just wide.
St Eunan’s were looking dangerous in attack and Moreton added a second goal on 19 minutes when he skipped around McGinty following a diagonal ball in from Sammy Bogan to make it 2-1 to 0-1. Peter Doherty had Glenswilly’s best goal chance of the half. However, his shot on the turn was well saved by Emmet Lynch in the St Eunan’s goal.
Glenswilly’s first half total was three frees from McGrenra and a Gary McDaid point, as their neighbours from O’Donnell Park continued to make goal chances. Three minutes prior to the interval, Jordan O’Dowd got in by the byline was only just off target from an angled shot, with McGinty credited with keeping it out. At half-time it was 2-3 to 0-4 for St Eunan’s.
Glenswilly got the goal they needed just 43 seconds into the second half when Pauric Bonner got away and played it to McDaid, who in turn found the incoming Chris Carberry and he smashed past Lynch to bring the side from Foxhall back to within two points.
And just five minutes later Glenswilly were ahead 2-4 to 2-3 through a goal from substitute Kevin Cunningham, getting enough on the shot to force it over the line following a flick-on from Doherty.
Glenswilly’s case wasn’t helped though in the 38th minute when corner-back Shane McDaid was given a straight red card for a high tackle on Bogan.
The numbers were evened up and it was 14-a-side as John Cavanagh was sent to the line on 46 minutes having picked up a second yellow and Glenswilly’s Michael McDaid added a third goal for Glenswilly on 48 minutes when he burrowed through the St Eunan;s defence to shoot home.
Paul Crossan posted St Eunan’s first score of the half – 19 minutes in – but Ciaran Gallagher’s Glenswilly were still in control. Kevin Cunningham almost his second goal, striking the post eight minutes from time, although Gavin Maguire made a telling block.
At the other end, another substitute, this time St Eunan’s Dean Hamilton pointed to bring his team back to within just a point, at 3-4 to 2-6 down. St Eunan’s missed the chance to force extra-time when, in the 64th minute, he hooked the ball agonisingly wide with his back to goal as the ball broke his way from a crowded square after a lobbed free in from Brandon Jordan.
Glenswilly: Cathal McGinley; Stephen McDaid, Pauric Carberry, Jason McGeehan; Paul Burns, Sean McFadden, Manus McFadden; Shaun Bonner, Michael McDaid (1-0); Chris Carberry, Gary McDaid, Manus Kelly; Pauric Bonner, Peter Doherty, Gerard McGrenra (0-3, 3f). Subs: Kevin Cunningham (1-0) for M Kelly (21), Michael Farrelly for Bonner (43)
St Eunan’s: Emmet Lynch; Ciaran McIntyre, Gavin Maguire, Donnan Harvey; Mark O’Hare, Steven Nairn, Sammy Bogan (0-1); Jordan O’Dowd, John Cavanagh (1-0); Brandan Jordan, John McIntyre, Paul Crossan (0-1,1f); Michael Moreton (1-3, 1f), Dwyer Rafferty, Stephen King. Subs: Shane Maguire for J McIntyre (33), Dean Hamilton (0-1) for Crossan (49), Anthony Walsh for Quinn (58)
Referee: Liam McConigley (Downings)
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