All square between St Mary's, Convoy and Robert Emmets in Junior B final 

Two gifted goals from St Mary’s, Convoy to opponents Robert Emmets were the key scores in this closely contested Junior B final played in dreadful conditions, in Letterkenny, meaning both sides must do it all over again next weekend. 

St Mary’s Convoy 1-7 Robert Emmets 2-4 

The first came in the 36th minute and the second in the 48th as Rory Dalton profited from lost possession and found the net for his team to put them into a 2-4 to 1-6 lead coming down the home straight.

It was left to Cormac Mulrine to level matters as the game ended in a frenetic finish. It really was a game of two halves. 

Convoy were well on top in the opening period but Emmets emerged a different side after they trailed by 1-4 to 0-2 at the break, their goal coming from a mistake by Emmett’s keeper Sam McGlinchey with Darren Bonner hammering the loose ball to the net.  

St Mary’s settled swiftly and late replacement Jason McDaid pointed a 14-metre free after he had been fouled. But the Castlefin men responded in a heartbeat as centre half-forward Rory Dalton hoofed over a fine point 

Play was pretty turgid for the next twelve minutes before Convoy’s Michael Patton hit Michael Ayton with a pinpoint pass and the latter swung over a fine point. 

Ayton, who was proving to be a real threat to the Robert Emmets defence, landed another fine effort in the 16th minute. 

The rain got heavier making conditions cold and treacherous, but it was the physically superior Convoy side who were in the ascendancy. 

Their midfielder Benny Bonner burst through and went for the top corner, but his blasted effort screamed over the bar. 

Robert Emmet’s were struggling on their kick-outs and it got even better for Convoy when Emmett’s keeper Sam McGlinchey lost possession under pressure and the ball broke loose to the inrushing Darren Bonner who first timed the ball to the roof of the net. 

Dylan McNamee got his side’s second score of the half from a free as Convoy led by 1-4 to 0-2 at the break. Emmets threw on Niall Quinn for Ciaran Dalton at half-time. 

And McNamee converted a free for Emmett’s to narrow the gap. But Convoy replied with a superbly struck 45 from Darren Bonner who was part of a twin strike force along with Ayton. 

However, they made a major blunder in the 38th minute when wing-back Rory Craig gave the ball away to Emmett’s Rory Dalton on the edge of the square. 

And with keeper Dannan O’Kane stranded in no man’s land, Dalton had a simple task of gently lobbing the ball to an empty net. 

Dalton’s lucky strike left just a point between the sides as matters got feistier and play was held up for a few melees.  Ayton put Convoy in front with a fine effort as they led by 1-6 to 1-4. 

But Convoy gifted Emmets a second goal when full-back Ronan Donnellan gave the ball away to Dalton deep inside his own defence and the Emmets man gleefully hit his second goal to put his side in front for the first time by 2-4 to 1-6. 

However, an outgunned Convoy levelled matters through midfielder Cormac Mulrine with eight minutes to go. 

Five minutes extra-time was played by referee Kenneth Byrne as both sides went for victory in a frenetic finish. Both sides had chances of snatching victory. 

But the best chance of all fell to Convoy after a late controversial free with virtually the last kick of the game. 

Ayton had a chance to be a real hero, but his free from the hands just missed the post as referee Byrne called time. The sides will now meet in a replay. 

St Mary’s scorers: Darren Bonner 1-1; Michael Ayton 0-3; Jason McDaid 0-1,1f; Benny Bonner 0-1; Cormac Mulrine 0-1;  

Robert Emmets scorers Rory Dalton 2-1; Dylan McNamee 0-3,3f; 

St Mary’s, Convoy: Dannan O’Kane; Jason McDaid, Ronan Donnellan, Conor Bonner; Rory Craig, Ciaran McNamee, Liam Prunty; Cormac Mulrine, Benny Bonner; Michael Patton, Laurence McMullan, Oran Pattterson, Darren Bonner, Michael Ayton, Cathal Browne. 

Robert Emmets: Sam McGlinchey; Oran Farrell, Ryan McGirr, Dean Hughes; Owen Harran, Paul Farrell, Marcus Curran; Neil Mulcahy, Conor Dalton; Jordan McKinney, Rory Dalton, Ciaran Dalton; Jordan Tourish, Darren McBride, Dylan McNamee. 

Subs; Niall Quinn for Ciaran Dalton (h-time), Ryan Roe for Marcus Curran (38), Ronan McDaid for Dean Hughes Brian Lafferty for Jordan Tourish (54) Reece Gallagher for Rory Dalton (63). 

Referee: Kenneth Byrne (Naomh Columba)