Buncrana create history as they dethrone Carndonagh in thrilling IHC decider 

Buncrana are the new Donegal IHC champions - landing a first ever adult hurling title in the process - as they edged out Inishowen rivals Carndonagh by two points in Letterkenny. 

The champions had led 0-7 to 0-6 at the changeover and a goal right after the restart through player/boss Cathal Doherty looked like it was going to propel Carn onto another title. 

However, Buncrana would dig deep to land the next six points to eventually go two clear by the 50th minute. 

The pendulum would swing evenly between then and the end and it was Buncrana that held on. 

In a cagey opening period where both sides clocked five wides each, Carndonagh just shaded things at the interval going in a single point clear.

The impressive Caolan O’Neill, who posted seven of the winners’ final tally, got the scoring action underway in O’Donnell Park for Buncrana but a Luke White brace of frees soon shifted that early momentum. 

Carn registered a third point on the bounce through Cian Doherty as 0-3 led 0-1 on eight minutes. But the sides were level once more nearing the end of the opening quarter thanks to O’Neill as he landed two frees back-to-back.

Doherty then nabbed his second but O’Neill again found his range for Tommy O’Neill’s charges and the sides were deadlocked once more at 0-4 apiece. 

Michael McCarron and Dylan Duffy also swapped points in what remained a tight and claustrophobic affair. 

Player/boss Doherty as well as another White free seemed to give Carn some breathing space in added time at the end of the first period. 

But a Peter Grant point down the other side, on the stroke of the short whistle, meant the minimum split the teams heading for the changing rooms. 

Direct play from the champions on the resumptions seen the sliotar break kindly for Doherty who rammed home to the back of the net from close range.  

Buncrana’s response was admirable as Conor Grant and an O’Neill ‘65 left it 1-7 to 0-8 by the 37th-minute mark. 

Buncrana continued to push and with Oisin Grant landing a third score on the trot for his side, that previous green flag concession was now wiped at 1-7 to 0-9. 

Buncrana’s march towards parity continued and they deservingly found level pegging 13 minutes from time as O’Neill collected his sixth point of the contest, again from a free. 

Now on a real roll Buncrana, in total, landed six points on the trot as Duffy and O’Neill again moved their side onto 0-12 and, in the process, into the lead by two. 

McCarron finally stemmed the tide on 49 minutes to halve the deficit but another Duffy effort for Buncrana meant 0-13 led 1-8 going into the final ten minutes. 

White (free) and Sam Doherty swapped points and two remained the gap with four to play. Cathal Doherty responded once more for his team to strip the difference back to just a point. 

But now into added time. Sam Doherty let fly and Buncrana’s cushion was again two points as they held on for a famous win.

Carndonagh scorers: Luke White 0-4,4f; Cathal Doherty 1-2; Cian Doherty 0-2; Michael McCarron 0-2; 

Buncrana scorers: Caolan O’Neill 0-7, 5f, 1’65; Dylan Duffy 0-3; Conor Grant 0-1; Peter Grant 0-1; Sam Doherty 0-2; Oisin Grant 0-1. 

Carndonagh: Paddy Monagle; Liam Fox, Padraig Doherty, Conor Lafferty; Eoghan Ó Ceallaigh, James Monagle, Shaun McCreanor; Daire Tully, Danny Monagle; Darragh McCormick, Cian Doherty, Donal Doherty; Cathal Doherty, Michael McCarron, Luke White. 

Subs: Michael Noone for D McCormick (39), Conor Fagan for Tully (46), Ryan Davenport for McCreanor (54); Altan McDermott for McCarron (59).

Buncrana: Tommy Mitchell; Oisin Hegarty, Cathal Wilson, Martin Shiels; Paul Tourish, Conor Grant, Tom Clare; Caolan O’Neill, Peter Grant; Ruairi Doherty, Jack O’Loughlin, Darren Doherty; Dylan Duffy, Oisin Grant, Sam Doherty. 

Subs: Rory Scott for Clare (60+2).

Referee: James Callaghan (Setanta).