Killybegs claim the spoils on trip to the shores of Lough Foyle

Muff’s start to the Donegal All-County League ended with a 2-11 to 3-14 defeat to Killybegs at Maurice McMenamin Memorial Park in Ture. The Fishermen never looked out of control and dominated the game around the middle of the field.

Naomh Pádraig got off to the perfect start as a driving run from the impressive Johnny Toye saw him pick out Jamie McCauley. McCauley’s first attempt was saved by Josh Colyer, but he slotted home the rebound to open the scoring after just 30 seconds.

Killybegs settled into the game, and back-to-back two-pointers from Jack McSharry from dead balls put a point between the sides. Odhrán McGuinness then slotted over after a quick sideline ball, beginning Killybegs’ stranglehold on the game.

Oisín McIntyre won a free in front of the posts, which Toye converted after eight minutes, before adding another shortly after. However, two-pointers from both McGuinness and McSharry, along with a free from Ryan Cunningham, stretched Killybegs' lead to five after 20 minutes.

Diarmuid O’Kane landed a ’45, and captain Darragh McIntyre closed the gap to a goal. However, the key moment of the half came just before the break when Seamus Byrne burst through the Muff defence and hand-passed across to John Ban Gallagher, who palmed the ball into the net.

Ryan Cunningham won and converted his own free before Cillian Doyle knocked over a placed ball just before the half-time whistle, leaving the score at 1-5 to 1-11.

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Killybegs nearly made the perfect restart when Seamus Byrne’s well-struck shot was saved by O’Kane with his feet. Muff responded with back-to-back scores through a Doyle free, and a minute later he added another from a tight angle following good work from Johnny Toye. Jamie McCauley then added a point in the 33rd minute after Muff broke the ball in midfield and fed him to slot over.

Another free from McGuinness followed, before a mix-up in the Naomh Pádraig defence allowed McGuinness a goal chance, but the ball was scrambled clear by the men in yellow and blue.

Two goals in the space of a minute proved decisive. Jack McSharry powered through the defence to find the roof of the net, and shortly after, Conor Cunningham set up Ryan Cunningham, whose initial shot was saved before he finished the rebound to the net, leaving the score at 3-12 to 1-8 with 20 minutes remaining.

Johnny Toye then saw a speculative effort well saved, and in the same passage of play, substitute Andrew McCarron split the posts for a two-pointer. Killybegs’ goalkeeper responded with a ’45 to leave it 3-13 to 1-11, before McGuinness added another to put nine between the sides with ten minutes to go.

Muff grabbed a consolation goal through substitute Oisín Burke and pushed for another, but a goal-bound free from Toye in injury time was well dealt with on the line by Killybegs. In the closing stages, Jamie McCauley was shown a black card for an off-the-ball incident, but the game was already out of reach.

For Muff, the physicality of Killybegs around the middle proved too much to handle. Despite strong performances from the likes of U20 county panellist Cillian Doyle, Cormac Kelly and especially Oisín McIntyre, the younger home struggled to cope with the height and strength of the Killybegs midfield

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Naomh Pádraig scorers: Diarmuid O’Kane 0-1 (45), Johnny Toye 0-3 (3f), Jamie McCauley 1-1, Cillian Doyle 0-3 (2f), Oisín Burke 1-0, Darragh McIntyre 0-1, Andrew McCarron 0-2 (1 two-pointer)

Killybegs scorers: Jack McSharry 1-6 (3 two-pointers, 2f), Odhrán McGuinness 0-4, Jon Ban Gallagher 1-2, Ryan Cunningham 1-1 (1f), Josh Colyer 0-1 (45)

Naomh Pádraig: Diarmuid O’Kane; Daniel McMenamin, Cormac Kelly, Evan McColgan, Micheál McCarron, Caolan Harkin, Darragh McIntyre, Ciaran McLaughlin, Dermott Keaveney, Oisín McIntyre, Johnny Toye, Peter McLaughlin, Jamie McCauley, Cormac Doherty, Jamie McColgan. Substitutes: Cillian Doyle, Oisín Burke, Eamon Doherty, Oisín Doherty

Killybegs: Josh Colyer, Daithi Burke, Cillian Gildea, Ethan Byrne, Charlie Breslin, Ben Conneely, Owen Gallagher, Rory Colyer, Seamus Óg Byrne, Edward McHugh, Jack McSharry, Eoin Mulligan, Ryan Cunningham, Jon Ban Gallagher, Odhrán McGuinness. Substitutes: Conor Cunningham, James Lett, Eamonn Curran, Joseph McGrory.