It’s early days and defending champions Naomh Conaill will hardly be sounding the alarm bells.
But St Eunan’s will be more than happy after they posted an impressive six-point victory at Naomh Conaill in the Donegal SFC.
You could barely slip a sheet of paper between the two rival sides in recent seasons.
And county star Shane O’Donnell may well have been the difference between these two quality sides.
It was the visitors who made the brighter start, moving the ball forward fast when the opportunity arose and they managed the first three points of the game.
Pauric Boyle was the scorer of two of those and Eoin McGeehin got into punch over after a flowing move.
It took Naomh Conaill 10 minutes to get on the scoreboard, with Conor Roarty the point-scorer and by the quarter-hour they were just the one down. Finbarr Roarty and a well-taken Ciaran Thompson point went over for the hosts, although by that point a classy Niall O’Donnell score from the left-hand side was the differential.
Boyle was having a fine game and his third point of the half was touch and go, with the umpires giving it the nod as it made its way from out to in. McGeehin followed it up with a free and that made it 0-6 to 0-3 for St Eunan’s on 20 minutes.
Both sides continued to put their best foot forward and by the break, Barry Meehan’s troops were still three to thne good, at 0-9 to 0-6. Brendan McDyer’s two points late in the half rallied the home support, with Jon O’Malley alos on the mark. However, Niall O’Donnell hit his second of the day and his brother Shane hit two as the half came to a close.
Twelve months ago, St Eunan’s had been six points in front and had to be content with a 0-9 to 0-9 draw in the group stages, before Naomh Conaill won out in the semi-final on their way to their seventh Donegal SFC crown.
Ethan O’Donnell was on the substitutes’ bench for Naomh Conaill having been in Perth, Australia, while St Eunan’s notable absentee was Shaun Patton, who is on a family holiday.
The second half was a slow burner, with Kevin McGettigan getting the first score on 39 minutes. When it came, the goal was the decisive score and was smashed past Stephen McGrath by Shane O’Donnell, with Darragh Mulgrew providing the assist on 44 minutes.
However, Naomh Conaill set about getting back into it with quickfire points from A Charlie McGuinness free and a point from substitute Dermot Molloy, with 12 to play.
Shane O’Donnell was flying though and managed to put St Eunan’s 1-10 to 0-9 ahead before McGuinness scored to put three between them again.
Naomh Conaill pressed in to try and get something and that left space at the back for St Eunan’s to exploit and Shane O’Donnell and sub Ciaran Moore, who scored twice, picked off late scores to seal an impressive win. No doubt they’ll meet again.
Naomh Conaill scorers: Conor Roarty 0-1; Finbarr Roarty 0-1; Ciaran Thompson 0-1; Brendan McDyer 0-2; John O’Malley 0-1, 1f; Kevin McGettigan 0-1; Charlie McGuinness 0-2, 1f; Dermot Molloy 0-1.
St Eunan’s scorers: Shane O’Donnell 1-3; Eoin McGeehin 0-3, 2f; Pauric Boyle 0-3; Niall O’Donnell and Ciaran Moore 0-2.
Naomh Conaill: Stephen McGrath; Logan Quinn, AJ Gallagher, Jason Campbell; Conor Roarty, Anthony Thompson, Kevin McGettigan; Keelan McGill, Ciaran Thompson; Brendan McDyer, Odhran Doherty, Finbarr Roarty; Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí, Charlie McGuinness, John O’Malley. Subs: Dermot Molloy for A Thompson (41), Leo Dunphy for Quinn (43), Mark McDevitt for O’Malley (52)
St Eunan’s: Ronan McGeehin; Brian MacIntyre, Eamon DohertyConor Parke; Darragh Mulgrew, Conor Morrison, Kieran Tobin; Conor O’Donnell Snr, Caolan Ward; Shane O’Donnell, James Kelly, Oran Winston; Pauric Boyle, Niall O’Donnell, Eoin McGeehin. Subs: Eoin Dowling for MacIntyre (36), Lee McMonagle, Ciaran Moore and Anthony Gallagher for Parke, Morrison and Winston, (52); Conor O’Donnell Jnr for N O’Donnell (57)
Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary’s, Convoy)
