Niall O'Donnell turns the tide as St Eunan's think their way past Aodh Ruadh

St Eunan’s recovered from a four-point deficit in the quarter-finals of the Donegal SFC against an Aodh Ruadh team who, for long spells, asked serious questions of them and just when you thought they were done, made a late charge.

St Eunan’s 1-13 Aodh Ruadh 2-5

Rory Kavanagh’s side scored nine second half points in succession under the lights at St Mary’s with the introduction of Niall O’Donnell - who scored four points and contributed much else besides - at the interval the most telling thing to happen in Convoy.

Aodh Ruadh, who had looked a beaten docket after they were slowly picked apart in the second half, scored 1-1 in the latter stages with Cian Dolan grabbing the goal, to bring it down to just two. Darragh Mulgrew’s goal with the last kick of the game made sure for St Eunan’s, who lived to tell the tale.

O’Donnell, the St Eunan’s captain who had led the panel out wasn't a starter as he watched on to see his teammates struggle hugely to begin with.

John McNulty’s team made a brilliant start, with a goal in 48 seconds. David Dolan wasn’t covered following a long ball in from Niall Murray and smashed past Shaun Patton. And by the fifth minute, Diarmaid McInerney twisted and turned to point and Aodh Ruadh were 1-1 to 0-0 in front.

Early days it was and Aodh Raudh had something to hold onto, sitting covering zones rather than men. St Eunan’s finally got on the board by the 11th minute through Peter McEniff and although they had a heap of possession, they were suffering difficulty in piercing through the Aodh Ruadh layers or finding pockets of space. To exacerbate things, a shower or two made things slippier.

Twenty minutes in, those from Ballyshannon would’ve been pretty content with how things were panning out, although on the break Aodh Ruadh were missing chances. A minute before half-time, Cian Dolan scored a fine individual point, in what was a soundbite of how they would’ve planned to play it. Eoin Dowling’s free was St Eunan’s first score in 20 minutes and only their second in all.

At the break, it was 1-2 to 0-2 for Aodh Ruadh and St Eunan’s had their work cut out. Having only scored two points, they also had two wides, to the Ernesiders’ five.

Niall O’Donnell was thrown on at the interval. However, 24 seconds into part two it was Aodh Ruadh who were the ones scoring, with Cian Dolan making his way into space to point, to go four in front again. It was as good as it got.

St Eunan’s though, were pushing up on Peter Boyle with the wind and noticeably getting more shots off. Niall and Shane O’Donnell both hit points by the 36th minute as the Letterkenny team had much more purpose about them. However, Philip Patton’s first free - an award brought forward by referee Robbie O’Donnell - in the 40th minute made the score 1-4 to 0-4.

Shane O’Donnell, who was driving St Eunan’s on alongside his elder brother, scored a point from an avenue that was perhaps the most profitable for his team - by countering the counter.

The Ballyshannon side were chasing a place in the last four of the competition for the first time in 25 years and last year they came within a whisker of doing that before the narrowest of losses to Gaoth Dobhair. With four wins from four in the group stages, they were the only team to get the maximum and certainly had form, although the competition layout and open draw did them few favours.

Conor O’Donnell jnr’s free with 13 to play edged St Eunan’s ahead for the first time, 0-8 to 1-4, before Niall O’Donnell scored the point of the evening to finish off a stylish move which he had started.

The St Eunan’s skipper then finished off a Patton special, with the Donegal netminder playing a peach of a kick-out to make the score 0-10 to 1-4. An interception by Michael McKenna on 53 minutes, when Conor O’Donnell and Darragh Mulgrew were in and swapping passes, kept Aodh Ruadh’s pulse beating.

McEniff, Eoin McGeehin and Peter Devine continued the procession for the black and amber and St Eunan’s had worked their way into a lead of six points. But when Aodh Ruadh managed a goal on 58 minutes from Cian Dolan and then a point from Mark McGlynn, it was suddenly back to two, only for Mulgew's goal at the other end with practically the last kick of the match enough to end it at that.

St Eunan’s scorers: Niall O’Donnell, 0-4; Darragh Mulgrew 1-0; Shane O’Donnell and Peter McEniff 0-2, Conor O’Donnell jnr 0-2, 1f; Eoin McGeehin, Peter Devine 0-1; Eoin Dowling 0-1, 1f.
Aodh Ruadh scorers: Cian Dolan 1-1; David Dolan 1-0; Cian Rooney, Diarmaid McInerney, Mark McGlynn 0-1; Philip Patton 0-1, 1f 
St Eunan’s: Shaun Patton; Conor Morrison, Caolan Ward, Peter Devine; Kieran Tobin, Eamon Doherty, Peter McEniff; Darragh Mulgrew, Kevin Kealy; Eoin Dowling, Shane O’Donnell, Ciaran Moore; Conor O’Donnell jnr, Eoin McGeehin, Dillon Doogan. Subs: Niall O’Donnell for Doogan (half-time), Aaron Deeney for Doherty (47), Brian MacIntyre for O’Donnell jnr (56), Sean McVeigh for McEniff (60+4).
Aodh Ruadh: Peter Boyle; Kyle Murray, Conor Patton, Colm Kelly; Michael McKenna, Eamonn McGrath, Niall Murray; Shane McGrath, Cian Dolan; Diarmaid McInerney, Cian Rooney, Philip Patton; Eddie Lynch, David Dolan, Eoghan Kelly. Subs: Mark McGlynn for McInerney (12), Darren Drummond for D Dolan (49), Nathan Boyle for C Rooney (51), Jack Gallagher for Kelly (60)
Referee: Robbie O’Donnell (Naomh Muire)