Carndonagh edge out MacCumhaills to lift Intermediate Hurling Championship 

Carndonagh are the Donegal Intermediate Hurling Cup champions following a four-point win over a fancied MacCumhaills in O’Donnell Park. 

Carndonagh 2-12 MacCumhaills 2-8

The Inishowen men, who were forced to start without player/manager Padraig Doherty and lost top scorer Luke White to injury in the early minutes, were the better side and deserving winners. 

Centre halfback and top scorer White picked up an ankle injury and was forced out  of the game after just 15 minutes.

And on top of all that they got off to the worst possible start conceding a goal inside the opening minute. 

MacCumhaills corner forward Shane McMenamin rattled the back of the Carn net after the ball broke from a long Gavin Browne delivery.

But thanks to two White frees and a goal from the penalty spot, Carn turned the tables and led 1-3 to 1-0 by the tenth minute.

Former county ace Lee Henderson then stormed into the game and, thanks to his accuracy from placed balls, twice reduced the gap to a single point. 

And the Finnsiders, the reigning champions, were back in front with five minutes left in the half after Henderson capitalised on a  mix-up in the Carn defence to drill home his side's second goal.

All of a sudden MacCumhaills were up by a point, 2-4 to 1-6, with time running out in the half. 

But Carndonagh were not finished and Donal Doherty did not look a gift horse in the mouth when PJ Browne fluffed his puckout and the replacement full forward pounced for a second Carn goal. 

And Doherty must have thought it was his side’s day when Browne again fluffed his puck out for a second time. On this occasion the Carn dangerman had to be happy with a point for a 2-8 to 2-4 half-time lead. 

Henderson twice traded points with both James Monagle and Donal Doherty on the resumption as Carndonagh maintained their four-point advantage.  

And with James Monagle, Danny Monagle, Darragh McCormick and Donal Doherty stepping up and MacCumhaills electing to go for goals, Carndonagh held on to pull off a famous and fully merited win for the Inishowen hurling outpost.

Carndonagh scorers: Donal Doherty 1-4; Luke White 1-2, 1P,2f; James Monagle 0-2,1f; Cian Doherty 0-2, Eoghan O’ Ceallaigh, Cathal Doherty 0-1 each.

MacCumhaills scorers: Lee Henderson 0-8, 6f,1’65; Ger Cunningham 1-0; Shane McMenamin 1-0. 

Carndonagh: Stephen Burns; Ronan Browne, Ryan Davenport, Shaun MacCreanor; Eoghan O’ Ceallaigh, Luke White, Daire Tully; Danny Monagle, Conor Fagan; Michael Noone, James Monagle, Darragh McCormack; Cathal Doherty, Donal Doherty, Jack McLaughlin.

Subs: Cian Doherty for L White (15,inj), Ben McDaid for Michael Noone (42), Michael McCarron and Patrick Monagle for D Tully and D McCormick (both 59).

MacCumhaills: PJ Browne; Eoghan Wright, John Anthony Chambers, Kyle Tourish; Conor Murphy, Conor Griffin, Pete Byrne; Gavin Browne, Joel Bradley Walsh; Dean Hannigan, Lee Henderson, Fintan Griffin; Anthony Patton, Ger Cunningham, Shane McMenamin. 

Subs: Jamie De Ward and Aaron Toney for Dean Hannigan and Eoghan Wright (both 47). 

Referee: James Connors  (St Eunans).