LAST YEAR’S beaten finalists, Setanta, powered past Buncrana to reach the Donegal SHC final.
Setanta 4-19 Buncrana 1-12
by Charlie Collins at Sean MacCumhaill Park
Davin Flynn (pictured) starred with 2-3 as Setanta surged away from The Scarvey men, with Mark Devine also landing a brace for Paul Campbell’s men.
Setanta had racked up an 11-point lead after the first-half, although a second-half goal by Dylan Duffy did give Buncrana some cheer.
Kevin Campbell arched over nine points from placed balls as Setanta wound up for another crack at the final in style
Setanta moved into an early six-point lead.
With Campbell, Flynn, Richard Kee and Danny Cullen on target, Setanta were in command and they took a real charges when Flynn riffled beyond Tom Clare, the Buncrana goalkeeper, for a ninth-minute goal.
Campbell, Gerard Gilmore and Cullen stretched the margin after Clare superbly saved from Michael Donoghue.
Jack O’Loughlin’s frees kept Buncrana ticking, but Mark Devine blasted home after Flynn’s initial shot was blocked. That goal, in the 24th minute, extinguished any hopes of a Buncrana fightback.
At the break, with Bernard Lafferty and Campbell adding points, Setanta were 2-12 to 0-7 in front.
Just four minutes into the second half, Devine drilled home after being set up by a magnificent Flynn pass.
Buncrana got a goal a minute later when Dylan Duffy cut in front the right and brilliantly shot past Ciarán Bellew.
Niall Doherty almost had a second goal for the Inishowen men, but he cracked a powerful effort against the post.
Two minutes from the end, Flynn added a fourth goal for the Crossroads men, finishing to the net after a solo run.
Setanta: Ciarán Bellew; Mark Callaghan, Simon McMenamin, Denim Rowan; Stephen McBride, Martin Bonner, Niall Cleary; Richard Kee (0-1), Michael Donoghue; Bernard Lafferty (0-2), Danny Cullen (0-2), Gerard Gilmore (0-1); Mark Devine (2-0), Davin Flynn (2-3, 1f), Kevin Campbell (0-9f). Subs: Justin McBride for Donoghue (48), Patrick Moss for Devine (58), Conor McGettigan for Campbell (60).
Buncrana: Tom Clare; Niall Doherty, Aedan Stokes, Oisin Hegarty; James Doherty, Sam Doherty, Conor Grant; Paul Nelson, PJ McCarron (0-1); Cathal Wilson, Jack O’Loughlin (0-9, 7f), Oisin Grant; Aaron Craig, Stephen Nelson, Dylan Duffy (1-2). Subs: Daniel Wilson for C.Wilson (20), Patrick Wilson for Nelson (45).
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