Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin secure Donegal JFC title with solid win over Carndonagh

Division 2 side Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin have been promoted to the Donegal Intermediate championship for the first time in their history after securing the Junior title with a solid win over fellow Inishowen side Carndonagh in O’Donnell Park. 

It was a superb team effort from Daniel McCauley’s side with two first-half goals from Kevin Lynch and Caolan McColgan leading the way for the men in blue and gold in what was their first Donegal JFC final since 2016.

The colours of blue and gold surrounded the O'Donnell Park stand in mass as Dermot Keaveney lifted the junior championship trophy, as he paid tribute to the community of the Naomh Padraig parish and dedicated the championship victory to their teammate Evan Craig who sadly lost his life a number of weeks ago.

It was a dream start for the Naomh Padraig men with Kevin Lynch rattling the net in the opening two minutes of the match when Cormac McColgan floated in a super ball on top of the towering Lynch, who fetched with ease in the air resulting in a green flag being raised. 

Read More: Peter Blake leads St Mary's Convoy to Donegal Junior B title against Carndonagh

The long ball game was so clearly the target for the Naomh Padraig men, with Caolan McColgan benefitting from a score off a long kick-in from Johnny Toye, after the centre-back fired over a point of his own moments earlier. 

By the 12th minute, Carndonagh had yet to come into the game as Naomh Padraig rattled off another three points, two from Lynch, who slotted over from two frees, while Oisin McIntyre hit the other leaving the score at 1-5 to no score, despite the Naomh Padraig side suffering a major blow when they lost their midfielder Eunan Mullan through injury.  

The game was only swinging one way by the end of the first quarter, and it was for the men in blue and gold, with Caolan McColgan increasing his side’s lead with perhaps the score of the game with he hit over off his right, 45-metres out and under serious pressure from corner-back Eoghan Kelly. 

The Carn men eventually hit their first point on the 19th minute when Conor O’Donnell led by example and split the posts to raise his side’s first white flag, but Cormac McColgan would follow suit for Naomh Padraig and hit another long-range point on an afternoon that was an example of long-range shooting at its finest. 

Despite Carn’s best efforts, Naomh Padraig manager Daniel McCauley can take great satisfaction in how well disciplined and organised his side was in defence forcing Carndonagh done blind alleys and forcing shots wide. 

Cian Doherty would find his side’s second point of the half, but half-forward Kevin Doherty replied for the Naomh Padraig men to keep his side well in front. 

And it only got harder for Carn when in injury time, Toye won a turnover, charged down the pitch and perfectly placed it to Caolan McColgan who gave the goalkeeper no chance as he blasted to the net for his side’s second goal, which was followed by a second long-range score from Cormac McColgan who brought the half to a close on a 2-9 to 0-3 point scoreline. 

The opening 10 minutes of the second-half would take a lull, with the only score coming from Carndonagh’s corner-back Daniel McDaid when hitting a fine score over from distance, but four wides inside the opening 10 minutes of the half, and seven in total, showed how far off they were from Naomh Padraig. 

It would take until the 43rd minute for Naomh Padraig to hit their first point of the match when Rory Hirrell joined the scoresheet with a fine point of his own and they wouldn’t get another until 13 minutes later when Dermot Keaveney and Hirrell fired over back-to-back points. 

But within that time Carndonagh didn’t do enough, with the men in green and red only hitting four more points with Anthony Doherty, Padraig Doherty with two, and James Monagle raising white flags, as Naomh Padraig celebrated a deserved win on an overcast day in O’Donnell Park. 

Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin scorers: Caolan McColgan 1-2; Kevin Lynch 1-2, 2fs; Cormac McColgan and Rory Hirrell 0-2; Kevin Doherty, Oisin McIntyre, Dermot Keaveney, and Johnny Toye 0-1 each. 
Carndonagh scorers: Anthony Doherty 0-2; Padraig Doherty 0-1, 1f; James Monagle, Conor O’Donnell, Cian Doherty, Ryan Kelly, and Daniel McDaid 0-1 each. 

Carndonagh: Kyle Harkin; Daniel McDaid, Danny Monagle, Eoghan Kelly; John O’Callaghan, Darragh Browne, Cian Burke; Will Quinn, Ryan Kelly; Keith Norris, Conor O’Donnell, Anthony Doherty; Cian Doherty, Donal Doherty, Feargal Doherty. Subs: Brendan McLaughlin Donal Doherty (18); Padraig Doherty for Norris and James Monagle for O’Callaghan (both 39); Richie Cunningham for Feargal Doherty (45); Cathal Doherty for Cian Doherty (52); 

Naomh Padraig, Uisce Chaoin: Oran McCauley; Cormac Kelly, Caolan Harkin, Darragh McIntyre; Michael McCarron, Jonathan Toye, Jason McCallion; Eunan Mullan, Cormac McColgan; Oisin McIntyre, Kevin Doherty, Rory Hirrell; Joe McCauley, Kevin Lynch, Caolan McColgan. Subs: Drew McKinney for Mullan (13); Ronan Hoy for McCauley (41); Dermot Keaveney for Kevin Doherty (55); Andrew McCarron for Caolan McColgan (60). 

Referee: Daniel Carlin (Naomh Padraig, Leifear)