Oisin Doherty impresses as Four Masters go away to Naomh Conaill and win

Four Masters showed more composure kicking with the breeze at Davy Brennan Memorial Park to earn a deserving win away to Naomh Conaill. 

With both sides shy some of their most potent operators, this was a chance for those on the fringes in both Glenties and Donegal Town to catch the eye. 

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Storm Dave had accounted for many games over the Bank Holiday weekend with pitches waterlogged as a result. 

But there was no such concern here, although a strong breeze straight down one end suggested this would very much be a game of two halves. 

And with Martin Regan’s charges only holding a slight 6-4 lead at the changeover, it was Barry Dunnion’s team that eventually earned that four-point win with a late Anthony Thompson goal adding a little home gloss. 

Danny Brown, twice, Jack McGlynn and Tiernan Ward - alongside a pair of John O’Malley frees, including one from outside the arc - accounted for Naomh Conaill’s opening half haul. 

Up the other end,  the impressive Oisin Doherty kicked 0-3 while Emmett Doogan made sure Masters went in just two off the pace at the short whistle. 

The visitors would open in confident fashion following the restart as Doherty landed a two-pointer to level it while Patrick McGonagle, on 33 minutes, then had his side in front for the first time. 

Doherty soon doubled that advantage but with Seamus Corcoran driving through down the end to fire through a sea of bodies and into the net, Naomh Conaill were back in front at 1-6 to 0-8. 

O’Malley kept that heat on with another point for the home side but with Doherty in excellent form for Four Masters, the deficit was trimmed back to one. 

With the tempo suddenly quickening, Keelan McGill was brilliantly denied down one side by Ryan Haughey and with Masters countering, Doherty again levelled matters up. 

In a pendulum-swinging sort of moment, Masters would hammer in their first goal thanks to Doherty and with substitute Senan Quinn making an immediate impact, 1-11 led 1-7 with ten to go. 

But things would get even better for rampaging Masters as Cian Gavigan raised a second green flag to open up a huge seven-point gap. 

Odhran Doherty and Richard O’Rourke, from a ‘45, swapped points down the stretch, as did O’Malley, free, and Conor Reid, with no real headway made by the chasinghosts. 

And while Thompson entered the fray late on and did manage to bag a second Glenties goal, full-time would signal soon after. 

Naomh Conaill scorers: John O’Malley 0-4, 1tpf, 2f; Seamus Corcoran and Anthony Thompson 1-0 each; Danny Brown 0-2; Tiernan Ward, Jack McGlynn, Odhran Doherty, 

Four Masters scorers: Oisin Doherty 1-7, 1tp, 3f; Cian Gavigan 1-0; Richard O’Rourke 0-1, 1’45; Patrick McGonagle, Conor Reid, Thomas Lenehan, Emmett Doogan and Senan Quinn 0-1 each. 

Naomh Conaill: Jordan O’Donnell; Hughie Gallagher, AJ Gallagher, Tiernan Ward; Jack McGlynn, Seamus Corcoran, Daithi Molloy; Mark Campbell, Odhran Doherty; Keelan McGill, John O’Malley, Mark McDevitt; Danny Brown, Shean Roarty, Daniel Gildea. 

Subs: Senan Quinn, Tomas Lenehan and Eoghan O’Neill for O’Keeney, McBride and Quinn (all 45)

Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Ross O’Keeney, Aidan McHugh, Caolan Sweeney; Patrick McGonagle, Richard O’Rourke, Cian Gavigan; Conor Reid, Tiernan McBride; Emmett Doogan, David Monaghan, Oisin Doherty; Conor Meehan, Patrick Reid, Jake Quinn. 

Subs: Niall Roarty for T Ward (41), Anthony Thompson for Corcoran (50) 

Referee: Pat Barrett (Milford).