Red Hughs rally late to edge a cracking U-21 encounter with Killybegs 

Red Hughs got their U-21 C championship group campaign off the mark in some style with a brilliant home win over Killybegs in Killygordon. 

In a tight contest, Ben Conneely had pushed Killybegs back in front on 57 minutes but digging deepest, it was the hosts that found that extra gear in the final moments and when it mattered most. 

First, Conor Gallagher boomed over a brilliant two-point free to pull the pendulum back Red Hughs’ way. 

And with the clock ticking into added time home substitute Alex Doherty blasted in a third Red Hughs goal to finally seal it. 

Killybegs had got off to a fine start as Cillian McHugh and Andrew Mullin both pointed inside the opening two minutes. 

Red Hughs were off the mark soon after and, when they did get on the scoreboard, it was in some style as James Doherty palmed home Cathair Browne’s direct delivery. 

Gallagher quickly followed that up as the hosts held an early 1-1 to 0-2 lead, six minutes in. 

Killybegs, though, bounced back with a fine two-pointed free from Josh Colyer. And with McHugh and JP McGuinness also posting, the young Fishermen were back in front, by the minimum, at the end of the first quarter. 

But for Thomas McMenamin, things could have got even better for the leaders as the Red Hughs netminder got down brilliantly to tip away McHugh’s low drive on goal. 

Bhoyed by that, Red Hughs strung together the next three points as the lead once again changed hands at 1-4 to 0-6. 

Liam Carlin grabbed the first of that trio and with Browne also on target, matters were squared up seven minutes out from the break. 

Carlin then grabbed his second, nearing the short whistle but with Eoin Mulligan responding down the other side, matters were deadlocked at the break. 

Conor Gallagher got Red Hughs on the board first after the restart but a Mulligan brace, as well as another Colyer effort, left Killybegs 0-10 to 1-5 clear on 40 minutes. 

Browne and Mulligan swapped points as two remained the gap. Going into the last quarter of an hour Browne halved that deficit in a contest where the margins remained wafer-thin.

However, intercepting a wayward kickout, Home full-forward Gallagher instantly moved possession onto the galloping and Browne and finding the net, he emphatically pushed Red Hughs back to the fore at 2-7 to 0-11. 

Killybegs, though, came back off the ropes to land their own haymaker as Eamonn Curran fisted home Colyer’s long-range free that dropped invitingly into the area. 

Back-to-back points from Carlin and Adam Doherty again tipped the scales back Red Hughs’ way at 2-9 to 1-11. 

But that Colyer two-point free from distance wrestled momentum back his team’s direction. 

Browne again stood up and made the difference and matters were deadlocked at 2-10 to 1-13. 

Conneely then wrestled the lead back Killybegs’ way with three minutes left on the clock.  

But in a grandstand finish, Gallagher belted over off the ground from outside the arc. And, right at death, the lurking Doherty pounced to put matters beyond all doubt. 

Red Hughs scorers: Cathair Browne 1-4; Conor Gallagher 0-4, 1tpf; Liam Carlin 0-3, 1f; James Doherty and Alex Doherty 1-0 each; Adam Doherty 0-1. 

Killybegs scorers: Josh Colyer 0-5,1tp, 1tpf; Eoin Mulligan 0-4,2f; Eamonn Curran 1-0; Cillian McHugh 0-3; JP McGuinness and Andrew Mullin 0-1. 

Red Hughs: Thomas McMenamin; Ryley Stewart, Cathal McMenamin, Caolan Burns; Bryan Irwin, Conor Galvan, Adam Doherty; James Doherty, Ryan McConnell; Liam Carlin, Cathair Browne, Oisin Muldoon; Daithi Scanlon, Conor Gallagher, Jamie Gallen. 

Subs: Oisin Coyle for Scanlon (ht), Caolan Duffy for Muldoon (37), Alex Doherty for Gallen (59). 

Killybegs: Elliott Byrne; Matthew O’Donnell, Michael Cunningham, Oisin Boyle; Martin Heraty, Ben Conneely, Joseph McGrory; Josh Colyer, Ethan Byrne Doherty; Eoin Mulligan, Gavin Doherty, Cillian McHugh; JP McGuinness, Andrew Mullin, Eamon Curran. 

Subs: Jack Moore for G Doherty (ht), Adam O’Neill for Heraty (33, inj), Conor McHugh for Mullin (57).

Referee: Cathal Gallagher (Glenswilly).