Carndonagh power past Letterkenny Gaels to win Junior A Football Championship title

Carndonagh claimed the Junior Championship title by four points at O'Donnell Park on Sunday but were made to work hard for it by a determined Letterkenny Gaels side.
Leading 1-9 to 0-4 at the break, the pre-match favourites should really have been further ahead, and when Shay Doherty hammered a goal to the net minutes after the restart, confidence coursed through the Letterkenny ranks.
Driven on by the impressive Ronan Frain, the Gaels took the fight to Carn and narrowed the deficit to two points entering the final ten minutes.
But Carn, who had lost two finals over the previous three years, found a second wind and refused to fold.
Eoghan Kelly, Danny Diver and two points from man-of-the-match Conor O'Donnell pushed them five clear by the 60th minute. Referee Cathal Boland played five minutes of injury time, but Carn’s defence stood firm and rebuffed all Gaels’ attempts for a goal.
McBrearty had the last word, tapping over a free with the final kick, but there was no doubting this was Carn’s day. The Inishowen men now advance to the Ulster Club Championship, where they will face the Monaghan champions. Having watched their neighbours Muff claim provincial honours last season, they will be going all out to emulate that success once the celebrations subside.

Read more: Carn captain Darragh Browne gets his wish

First half
Letterkenny Gaels owned the ball in the opening five minutes, holding possession in the middle third, with Conor McBrearty (free) and Diarmuid Ó Cathail hitting points on either side of Anthony Doherty’s opener for Carn.
Twelve minutes in, Conor O'Donnell decided it was time to stamp his authority on the game. A Letterkenny defender was punished for overcarrying, and the All-Star elect restarted quickly, soloed through the defence off left and right foot before burying the ball to the net.
Brian Diver hit back with a point for the Gaels, but O'Donnell was in the mood, firing over a two-pointer under pressure and later adding a two-point free.
The Gaels’ kickouts were under severe pressure, with Carn lording it at midfield and their half-forwards nipping in to intercept short restarts.
Cian Burke and Fergal Doherty (free) stretched Carn’s lead to five, with McBrearty landing the Gaels’ final score of the half from a 25th-minute free.
Carn were wasteful in front of goal and should have been much further ahead by half-time. They had a major let-off just before the interval when Ronan Frain stormed through the middle but cracked a thunderbolt off the crossbar.
Cian Burke rounded off the first-half scoring with his second point to leave Carn 1-9 to 0-4 ahead at the break.

Second half
Gaels replaced their goalkeeper at half-time, introducing the experienced Shane Graham, who made an immediate impact with a couple of fine saves, while his accurate kickouts helped them retain possession.
Cian Burke opened the second-half scoring for Carn, but the Gaels were electrified by Shay Doherty’s 33rd-minute goal - finishing in off the post after Frain’s hard running created the chance.
McBrearty converted a 35th-minute free, and when Shay Doherty pointed from a difficult angle, the half-time deficit had been halved to four points.
Carn were struggling to regain their grip, and McBrearty’s accurate free-taking punished their overzealous tackling.
It took two points from Anthony Doherty midway through the half to steady the ship, although Frain hit back with a massive two-pointer and another fine score after fielding a kickout, exchanging a one-two with Conor Walker and firing over to leave it 1-12 to 1-10 after 50 minutes.
Carn corner-backs Eoghan Kelly and Danny Diver both got on the scoresheet in the closing stages as the Inishowen men finished strongly.
McBrearty dropped a two-point free just short that would have asked further questions of Carn, but instead they swept downfield, where Conor O'Donnell’s 60th-minute point put them five clear — and the din almost lifted the roof of the stand.
O'Donnell added a late free, and though the Gaels pressed hard for a goal, their only real chance fell to Liam McAlary and was comfortably smothered by the massed Carn defence.
McBrearty hit a consolation point for the Gaels at the death, but Carn could finally celebrate getting their hands on the Dr McCloskey Cup for the first time since 2008.

Carn scorers: Conor O'Donnell 1-8 (one 2pt, one 2pt free, one free); Cian Burke 0-3, Anthony Doherty 0-3; Fergal Doherty 0-1 (1f); Eoghan Kelly 0-1; Danny Diver 0-1

Letterkenny Gaels scorers: Conor McBrearty 0-6 (6f); Shay Doherty 1-1; Ronan Frain 0-3, (one 2pt); Diarmuid Ó Cathail 0-1; Brian Diver 0-1.

Carndonagh: Daniel McDaid; Danny Diver, Danny Monagle, Eoghan Kelly; Will Quinn, James Monagle, Darragh Browne; Ryan Kelly, Sean O'Carroll; Cian Burke, Conor O'Donnell, Brendan McLaughlin; Cian Doherty, Anthony Doherty, Fergal Doherty. Subs: Michael Noone for F Doherty (40 mins); Pádraig Doherty for B McLaughlin (45 mins); Donal Doherty for S O'Carroll (54 mins); Olan McLaughlin and Keith Norris for C Burke and C Doherty (60+2 mins).

Letterkenny Gaels: Mark Margey; Niall Diver, Conor Browne, Charlie Robinson; Brian Diver, Diarmuid Ó Cathail, Liam McAlary; Darren Hunter, Ronan Frain; Conor Walker, Jack Keys, Aaron Bonner; Paddy Doherty, Conor McBrearty, Shay Doherty. Subs: Shane Graham for M Margey and Anthony Diver for P Doherty (both half time); Matthew Winters for A Bonner (39 mins); Will Jones for D Hunter (50 mins); Ray Quinn for J Keys (55 mins).

Referee: Cathal Boland (Ardara)