JOHNNY MCGRODDY kicked five points as Downings booked their tickets for the JFC final with victory over Moville.
Downings 1-10 Moville 0-7
With Letterkenny Gaels and St Mary’s Convoy postponed tomorrow, it’s a good position for Shane McClafferty and John Byrne to be in.
Anthony Doogan’s Moville team had most of the early possession this evening under the lights at MacCumhaill Park but on eight minutes found themselves 0-2 to 0-1 down with Johnny McGroddy and Ronan Gallagher scoring for Downings.
Eoin Ó Dochartaigh put over a point to make it 0-2 to 0-2, when an umpire waved wide only for referee Kevin McGinley decided it was over – it looked the right call.
A penalty from Keelan McGroddy in the 26th minute gave Downings a three-point lead, 1-3 to 0-3, which was huge in the circumstances. It was, though, the start of a run that got Downings motoring.
McGroddy sent Dylan Doherty the wrong way after Eunan Hegarty had fouled James Lee McBride after a delightful deft pass from Kevin Doherty that unpicked the defence.
To add to Moville’s woes, Malachy McDermott was black-carded in first half injury time and Johnny McGroddy’s third point of the half meant Downings were 1-4 to 0-3 ahead at half-time.
Downings got the better of things when the sides met in the group stages, a run that put an end to Moville’s 100 percent record from the first three fixtures.
Downings began the second half with intent and from Shane Boyce’s ball in, Lorcan Connor rasped the Moville crossbar. With significant arm’s length, they held off Moville in the third quarter, following which they had built up a 1-9 to 0-4 lead.
Keelan McGroddy and Ben McBride scored points, as did Johnny McGroddy. There was a pedestrian feel to the latter stages and Downings rolled over the line. Eric Roberts made sure with the last point moments before Enda Faulkner flashed a shot at goal inches wide.
Downings: John McGroddy; Hugo Davis, Oisin Boyce, Ben McNutt; Allen Pasoma, Padraig McGinty, Kevin Doherty; Keelan McGroddy (1-1, pen), Ronan Gallagher (0-1, 1f); Ben McBride (0-1), Johnny McGroddy (0-5, 4f), James Lee McBride; Gary McClafferty, Shane Boyce, Aaron McClafferty. Subs: Lorcan Connor (0-1) for A McClafferty (15), Eric Roberts (0-1) for JL McBride (46), David Hay for Davis (47), Kyle McFadden for S Boyce (59)
Moville: Dylan Doherty; Declan Diver, Markus Braksis, James Henry; Eunan Hegarty, Tony McClenaghan (0-2), Enda Faulkner; Malachy McDermott, Padhraic Skelly; Eoin Ó Dochartaigh (0-1), Michael Barr (0-1), Ciaran Diver; Danny Murphy, Christy Hegarty, Paddy Faulkner (0-3, 2f). Subs: Seamus Hegarty for J Murphy (26), Michael Leech for C Hegarty (41), Eoghan Gillen for Henry (59)
Referee: Kevin McGinley (Naomh Columba)
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