St Eunan's first Division 1 outing ends in comfortable win at MacCumhaill's

St Eunan’s opened their All-County Football League Division 1 campaign with a fuss-free victory at Sean MacCumhaill’s.

Sean MacCumhaill’s 0-10 St Eunan’s 1-14

Rory Kavanagh’s side have had to twiddle their thumbs in recent weeks, with a free weekend in the opening set of fixtures and then St Michael’s failed to field.

With patience being a virtue, though, in their first outing since last year’s Donegal SFC final, they did enough to come home safety and inflect the third loss from three on their depleted hosts, who the fixtures computer wasn’t so easy on after losses to Naomh Conaill and Gaoth Dobhair.

Ciaran Moore scored the game’s only goal, with St Eunan’s goalkeeper Eoin O’Boyle saving a penalty and the rebound late on from Aaron Kelly. Conor O’Donnell jnr top-scored with six points in all.

Fifteen minutes in, the visitors were 0-3 to 0-1 in front, with Padraig McGettigan kicking two early frees either side of a fine point on the run from O’Donnell jnr. Jack Duffy scored MacCumhaill’s first of the day to tie it up briefly.

Darragh Mulgrew and Conor O’Donnell snr got their names on the scoreboard, with O’Donnell jnr bringing his first half total to three from play. At the other end, Steven O’Reilly pointed from an acute angle and Aaron Kelly effortlessly stroked over a free from the 45-metre line.

By half-time it was 1-7 to 0-3, with Moore slapping the goal on 28 minutes having been set up by Conor Parke on the byline.

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Points were traded at either end in quarter three, with MacCumhaill’s scores coming from Kevin McCormack and Kelly’s frees, as well as Duffy’s second from play. O’Donnell, facing the River End, popped over three frees with Peter McEniff scoring from distance and Shane O’Donnell driving over. By the three-quarter mark, St Eunan’s were 1-12 to 0-6 in front.

With six minutes left, Aaron Deeney stole in and was content to punch over and then, St Eunan’s goalkeeper Eoin O’Boyle was penalised by referee Mark Dorrian form lying on the ball after a shot from McCormack came down off the upright. O’Boyle dived right to stop Kelly’s spot kick and then made an even better save from the follow-up by the same player, at the concession of a point. Late on, Ronan McGeehin and Kelly traded scores to  get St Eunan's season moving.

MacCumhaill’s scorers: Aaron Kelly 0-4, 3f; Jack Duffy 0-2; Kevin McCormack 0-2, 1f; Steven O’Reilly and Sean Martin 0-1 each.
St Eunan’s scorers: Conor O’Donnell jnr 0-6, 3f; Ciaran Moore 1-0; Padraig McGettigan 0-2, 2f; Darragh Mulgrew, Conor O’Donnell snr, Peter McEniff, Shane O’Donnell, Aaron Deeney, Ronan McGeehin 0-1 each.

MacCumhaills: Eoin Gallen; Jack Burke, Ronan McMenamin, Adam Lynch; Shaun McMenamin, Aaron Gillooley, Cian Mulligan; Sean Breen, Fionn McNulty; Jack Duffy, Kevin McCormack, Sean Martin; Aaron Kelly, Steven O’Reilly, Gary Dunnion. Subs: Eoin McGonagle for Breen (half-time), Daithi McMahon for Duffy (50), Caelum Bonner for McMenamin (60)
St Eunan’s: Eoin O’Boyle; Conor Parke, Noel O’Donnell, Peter McEniff; Dylan Doogan, Conor O’Donnell snr, Cormac Finn; Jordan O’Dowd, Darragh Mulgrew; Oran Winston, Shane O’Donnell, Ciaran Moore; Conor O’Donnell jnr, Eoin McGeehin, Padraig McGettigan. Aaron Deeney, Sean McGettigan and Noah Barrett for Doogan, O’Dowd and Finn (37), Ronan McGeehin for P McGettigan (49).
Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gaeil Fhánada).