O'Donnell impresses as St Eunan's grind out SFC win over St Naul's

St Eunan’s laboured to their second victory from three in the Donegal SFC, with Conor O’Donnell’s 1-6 getting them over the line against St Naul’s.

The Letterkenny side lost out to Kilcar 0-16 to 0-13 on the opening weekend and got themselves back on track with a 3-15 to 1-8 win at Aodh Ruadh.

Against St Naul’s, whom their manager Barry Meehan took to IFC success back in 2019, St Eunan's were leisurely in the first half - following which they led 1-10 to 0-4 with O’Donnell scoring the goal.

However, driven on by Peadar Mogan, the Mountcharles team were much better after the break and in the end were just outside of swinging distance. It means a third defeat on the bounce, with losses to Four Masters and Gaoth Dobhair initially. But they can take heart from O’Donnell Park.

The hosts were 0-3 to 0-2 in front by the 18th minute, with the impressive Oran Winston opening the scoring before two from Pauric Boyle. St Naul’s took a while to get going, not scoring till the 17th minute, before scores from Declan Duignan and Thomas White.

St Eunan’s shifted through the gears, with O’Donnell Jnr hitting 1-5 in the second quarter, with the goal tucked in past Gavin Mulreany after St Eunan’s won a kick-out from the St Naul’s netminder under the shadow of the stand. O’Donnell and his namesake Conor O’Donnell Snr worked it between them to create the chance from there, with 23 minutes played.

Declan Duignan and Barry Griffin doubled St Naul’s tally, although at the break many felt the contest was over with St Eunan’s in control and nine points in front, with O’Donnell having knocked over a two-point free.

Stuart Johnston’s point opened the second half scoring the cut the gap to eight and Mogan almost scored an impish goal when he tried to lob Shaun Patton from distance, only to see it go over the crossbar for a two-pointer. The 2024 All-Star would try the same on 39 minutes but again was just a bit too high and had to be happy with a single point.

By then, it was 1-12 to 0-10 with Winston bringing his tally for the day to four and Duignan getting a St Naul’s two-pointer.

St Eunan’s were only really playing in fits and starts and Philip Doherty and Niall O’Donnell, from a free, kept St Naul’s at arm’s length, while Shane O’Donnell was a late substitute.

Another Mogan two-pointer, which brought his total for the day to five, as well as John Rose and Joe Campbell points, meant that St Naul’s were never too far away, but had left themselves too much to do, with Kyle Campbell stretchered off in injury time.

St Eunan’s scorers: Conor O’Donnell Jnr 1-6, 1f, tpf Jnr Oran Winston 0-4; Pauric Boyle 0-2; Conor O’Donnell and Philip Doherty 0-1; Niall O’Donnell 0-1, 1f.
St Naul’s scorers: Peadar Mogan 0-5, 2tp; Declan Duignan 0-4, tp; Thomas White, Barry Griffin, Stuart Johnston, John Rose and Joe Campbell 0-1.

St Eunan’s: Shaun Patton; Peter Devine, Sean Ryan, Luke McGuinness; Caolan Ward, Kieran Tobin, James Kelly; Conor O’Donnell Snr, Ciaran Moore; Oran Winston, Eoin McGeehin, Philip Doherty; Conor O’Donnell Jnr, Niall O’Donnell, Pauric Boyle. Subs: Padraig McGettigan for Devine (43) Aaron Deeney for McGuinness (45), Noel O’Donnell and Shane O’Donnell for Boyle and Doherty (57).
St Naul’s: Gavin Mulreany; Ryan Coughlan, Barry Griffin, Kyle Campbell; Michael Coughlan, Niall Prendiville, Martin Breslin; Lee McBrearty, Brendan McCole; Stuart Johnston, Peadar Mogan, Thomas White; Ian Campbell, Declan Duignan, Joe Campbell. Subs: John Rose for Breslin (42), Danny McDyre for McBrearty (51), Jonathan O’Driscoll for Campbell (60).
Referee: Robbie O’Donnell (Naomh Muire)