Carn power past Urris to lift All County U18 Division 2 Football Shield

Carndonagh overwhelmed neighbours Urris in the U18 Division 2 Shield final in Moville on Friday night.

The last under-age county final of the year was played in stormy conditions, with a strong north-easterly wind blowing up the slope at the Carrick Field. But Carn adapted far better, holding possession for long spells into the wind in the first half and then using powerful, incisive running after the break. They led 1-5 to 0-4 at half time, with Ronan McLaughlin’s early goal setting the tone for a dominant second period.

Urris - a younger squad with fewer 18-year-olds and less adult football experience than Carn - battled hard but were repeatedly undone by cheap turnovers and poor tackling, conceding a series of frees that Kalvin McLaughlin duly punished.

McLaughlin, the Donegal minor (U17) captain this year, produced a tremendous display at centre field and was the fulcrum for Carn throughout. He hit 1-4 in the first half and added six points – including two two-pointers – in the second.

Danny Óg Cooney won a late penalty for Urris and took the kick himself, but Carn goalkeeper Josh Walsh saved well. Urris did snatch a consolation goal when Tadhg McDaid bundled the ball home, but by then they were chasing shadows. On a stormy Friday night under the floodlights, Carndonagh ran out convincing 14-point winners.

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Moville GAA's Ciaran McKenna presents the shield to Carn captain Sean O'Carroll

Playing with the wind, Urris opened with two points from midfielder Lorcan McGonagle. Wing-back Ronan McLaughlin responded for Carn, before two frees from Kalvin McLaughlin edged them ahead by the 15-minute mark.

Urris created plenty of chances but most were long-range efforts that dropped short or wide, with Carn defending deep to deny even a sniff of a goal chance.

The first goal went Carn’s way when Kalvin McLaughlin won possession at midfield and drove straight through the Urris defence before rifling a left-footed shot across the face of goal and into the corner beyond Sam Coyle – a superb individual effort. Although Patrick Doherty and McGonagle replied with points for Urris, McLaughlin cancelled those out, the first an excellent right-boot strike from the right corner, the second a 13m free moved forward for dissent.

Carn’s four-point interval lead soon stretched to seven as they made full use of the wind. Their second goal was beautifully worked: Olly Coyle picked out the unmarked Ronan McLaughlin inside the D, who exchanged a one-two with Ryan Noone before finishing to the net within two minutes of the restart.

McLaughlin and Donnacha O’Callaghan added points, before Senan Grant clipped a fine score following an incisive diagonal run from deep in his own half.

Two points from the industrious Tadhg McDaid – a fisted score after cutting along the endline and a free – briefly slowed Carn’s momentum, but normal service soon resumed. McLaughlin landed a two-point free, with O’Callaghan and Coyle adding scores from play.

Both benches were emptied as the half wore on, but the pattern remained unchanged: Urris created chances without converting, while Carn picked off points with efficiency. Cooney won a 54th-minute penalty but his effort was saved by Walsh.

Carn captain Sean O’Carroll then landed a mighty point from near the sideline before Urris finally found the net, McDaid fielding a long ball and scrambling it home despite being knocked to the ground.

The final word fittingly went to Kalvin McLaughlin, who boomed over a 50-metre two-pointer to cap a superb individual and team performance.

Friday night’s final brought down the curtain on the Donegal GAA under-age season, with around 1,500 competitive games played from March to November from U12 up to U18.

Carndonagh scorers: Kalvin McLaughlin 1-10 (one 2-pt, one 2-pt free, 4 frees); Ronan McLaughlin 1-1; Donnacha O’Callaghan 0-2; Olly Coyle 0-2; Senan Grant 0-1; Sean O’Carroll 0-1.

Urris scorers: Tadhg McDaid 1-2 (1f); Lorcan McGonagle 0-3; Patrick Doherty 0-1.

Carndonagh: Josh Walsh; Keith Callaghan, Tiernan Diver, Aaron Diver; Ronan McLaughlin, Donnacha O’Callaghan, Hugh McGinn; Kalvin McLaughlin, Sean O’Carroll; Mark McLaughlin, Senan Grant, Sheaghan Doherty; Olly Coyle, Ryan Noone, Shay McDaid. Subs:

Urris: Sam Coyle; Shay O’Donnell, Aaron Morris, Aodhan Harkin; Adam Doherty, Tadhg McDaid, Dylan Doherty; Lorcan McGonagle, Odhran Lagan; Keelan Doherty, Danny Óg Cooney, Joe Doherty; Jayden Gillespie, Patrick Doherty, Diarmaid McGonagle.

Referee: Shaun McLaughlin (Malin)