Naomh Conaill U-21s much too slick for hosts MacCumhaills 

Naomh Conaill picked up the win away to MacCumhaills on Friday night in the U-21 A championship with the Glenties lads having eight points to spare at the full-time whistle. 

MacCumhaills 1-9 Naomh Conaill 3-11

On a bitterly cold night by the Finn, throw-in was delayed by a quarter of an hour due to an issue with the floodlights at the venue. 

By the midpoint, and even though they’d held the obvious upper hand, the visitors still only exited 1-6 to 0-7 in front. But Naomh Conaill soon found their shooting boots following the restart and actually led by 12 approaching the hour mark. 

MacCumhaills would land a late three-pointer from the spot and a subsequent point with the last kick of the game but that only served to add a little more gloss to the final score. 

Neil Francis Boyle had got Naomh Conaill off to the best possible start when he fisted in an early goal and with Danny Brown and Conor Gildea adding points, their side led by five with the same amount of minutes lapsed on the clock. 

Conor McGinty got the hosts up and running on nine minutes from a free but Jack Boyle soon stroked that headway out down the other side. MacCumhaills looked a little more settled as Andrew Murray and Cian Mulligan left it 1-3 to 0-3. 

Brown and Conor McGinty swapped points before a Finbarr Roarty effort stretched the deficit out to four on 19 minutes. MacCumhaills then had Charlie Byrne to thank as he denied Joseph Shankey from close range. 

The hosts managed to then drag themselves back to within the bare minimum as McGinty landed a fine free off the ground while a brace from Sean Martin left it 1-5 to 0-7 on 28 minutes. 

But just before the short whistle Tiarnan Ward made sure Naomh Conaill departed two clear with a late free. 

Naomh Conaill really stole a march at the beginning of the second stanza as McDevitt, substitute Shea Malone and Conor Roarty all posted points. 

McGinty finally responded for MacCumhaills but from there, 39 minutes, right up until near the end, it was all Naomh Conaill. 

Malone would add a second Glenties goal on 43 minutes while McDevitt would also rattle the net five minutes out from the end as 3-11 led 0-8. McGinty would roll home from the spot in the dying seconds while Mulligan also nailed one last over. 

But there was no doubting that Naomh Conaill were full value in the end for what was a dominant and convincing victory. 

MacCumhaills scorers: Conor McGinty 1-4,1Pen,3f; Cian Mulligan 0-2; Andrew Murray 0-1; Sean Martin 0-2,1f.

Naomh Conaill scorers: Neil Francis Boyle 1-0; Danny Brown 0-4; Conor Gildea 0-1; Jack Boyle 0-1; Finbarr Roarty 0-1; Tiarnan Ward 0-1,1f; Mark McDevitt 1-1,1f; Shea Malone 1-1; Conor Roarty 0-1;  

MacCumhaills: Charlie Byrne; Alan Sproule, Ruairi Callaghan, Eoin McGonigle; Sean Breen, Cian Mulligan, Sean Martin; Andrew Murray, Fionn McNulty; Shaun McMenamin, Conor McGinty, Darragh Boyle; Pete Byrne, Martin Mbuli, Dylan Doherty. 

Subs: Daithi McMahon for D Doherty (ht); Josh Reid for McGonigle (42); Ryan Galvin for Mbuli (50).

Naomh Conaill: Dylan McGlynn; Conan Brannigan, Mark Campbell, Odhran McCallig; Joseph Shankey, Conor Roarty, Oran Doherty; Neil Francis Boyle, Finbarr Roarty; Daniel Gildea, Mark McDevitt, Conor Gildea; Tiarnan Ward, JackBoyle, Danny Brown

Subs: Shea Malone for C Gildea (ht); Peter McGlynn for McCallig (40); Adam Molloy for O Doherty (57); Callum Malone for Brown (59).

Referee: Pat Barrett (Milford).