MacCumahills land MHC title after edging out Aodh Ruadh 

Goals win matches and a fine MacCumhaills side grabbed four of them as they squeezed out Aodh Ruadh at the Cross. 

MacCumhaills 4-5 Aodh Ruadh 1-6 

They hit four of those in the second-half as Daimhin Byrne, Cathal McFadden twice, and the dazzling Dan Donnelly supplied the decisive blows from which Aodh Ruadh just simply couldn’t recover from. 

Donnelly had a great battle with Garreth Brennan of Aodh Ruadh, who held him to one point from play, but his stocky skill, strength and converting two 65’s into a slight slope and breeze, were some of the game’s real highlights. 

Discipline was not the best for both sides with referee Ciaran O’Neill handing out four yellow cards as matters boiled over on a number of occasions. 

But the real turning point in this feisty affair came in the 36thminute when substitute Byrne pounced on a short clearance and first-timed the ball to the net to put MacCumhaills ahead by 1-2 to 1-4. 

They trailed by 1-2 to 0-3 in the first-half as a long free from Aodh Ruadh full back Killian Bradshaw ended up in the MacCumhaills net.  

The opening exchanges were tense and that set the tone for an error ridden opening half where both sides racked up a total of 15 wides. 

Aodh Ruadh played with the breeze and the slight slope and had the opening point from team captain Cian McDonald. 

Corey Sheridan, who is also on the books of Finn Harps, was also on target for the Ballyshannon men.  But they failed to take advantage of the breeze and hit a total of seven wides in that opening half. 

They had a good goal chance in the 12th minute but Lennon Canny’s shot flashed past the post and wide. Donnelly levelled matters from a 65 and then landed another to put his team into a 0-2 to 0-1 lead. 

Rory Doherty increased the lead but Sheridan struck back to leave the minimum margin between the sides. 

And then Bradshaw’s long free deceived the MaCumhaills defence and bounced into the net to put Aodh Ruadh ahead by 1-2 to 0-3 at the break. 

McCaumhaills had the elements on the restart and Donnelly added another point before Byrne’s crucial goal. Aodh Ruadh tried to hit back but could make no real impression on a resolute MacCumhaills defence. 

A long ball into the Aodh Ruadh defence was finished to the net by McFadden for the first of his two goals. 

Donnelly then slammed a penalty to the Aodh Ruadh net to put his team into a 3-4 to 1-6 lead with Sheridan responding with pointed frees for Aodh Ruadh. And the game was well over when McFadden got his final goal. 

A thoroughly deserved win for a MacCumhaills side that will have all but four of their team underage again next year. 

Sean MacCumhaill’s scorers: Dan Donnelly 1-4,2 65s, 1 pen; Cathal McFadden 2-0; Daimhin Byrne 1-0; Rory Doherty 0-1. 

Aodh Ruadh scorers: Corey Sheridan 1-4,4f; Cian McDonald 0-1; Lennon Canny 0-1; 

MacCumhaills: Fionn McNulty; Oisin Mullen, Adam Byrne, Conor Russell; Daithi Bradley Flynn, Jacob Malone, Lorcan Byrne; Pauric Kelly, Sean Brady Devenney; Rory Doherty, Dan Donnelly, Riain McBrearty; Craig Russell, Cathal McFadden, Dylan Patton. 

Subs; Daimhin Byrne for Dylan Patton (35), Odhran McBrearty for Rory Doherty (40), Shay Bradley for Craig Russell (55). 

Aodh Ruadh: Ben Daly; David O’Mahoney, Killian Bradshaw, Sean Maguire; Rory Cullen, Garreth Brennan, Joseph Gibbons; Johnny Lin, Cian McDonald; Shay Winters, Tommy Clyne, Lennon Canny; Liam Doogan, Corey Sheridan, Jack McCadden. 

Referee Ciaran O’Neill (Setanta).