St Eunan's edge Naomh Conaill after extra-time to secure Donegal C final victory

It took extra-time to separate St Eunan’s and Naomh Conaill in a lively and highly competitive C final under the lights in the Donegal GAA Centre on Friday night. 

In the end it was St Eunan’s strength in depth that proved the difference with replacements accounting for six of their 14 points as they secured a three-point win. 

Eddie Blake scored the St Eunans goal, while Blake, Lorcan O’Donnell, Cathal O’Donnell, Thomas Roache, Calvin Aidoo, Paddy McGowan, and Conal McGinley scored the points for the champions on the night, while 2012 All-Ireland winner Rory Kavanagh played the full 80 minutes at midfield for the Letterkenny men.

It was a three-point game at half-time, with St Eunans ahead 1-5 to 1-2 at the end of a lively opening 30-plus minutes. 

Noel Gavaghan and Sean Doherty scored the goals for Naomh Conaill while Gavaghan, Robbie McDonnell, Johnny McLoone, Mark Burke, Michael Trimble, Joe Kennedy, Doherty, and Cian Kelly were among the points scorers for Naomh Conaill. 

McDonnell and O’Donnell traded early points for Naomh Conaill and St Eunan’s respectively, while the boys in blue lost Jackie Chan to a black card before St Eunan’s took a firm grip on the tie and led 1-3 to 0-1 by the 19-minute mark.

Corner-forward Blake got on the end of a sweeping shot to palm home the game's opening goal after good play from Conall Dunne and O’Donnell. Blake also kicked two points for, at this stage, a rampant St Eunan’s. 

But with Cian Kelly, Michael Tremble, and Joe Kennedy rising to the challenge, Naomh Conaill came more into the game. 

And they were back in the tie when Noel Gavaghan converted from the penalty spot to trim the St Eunan’s advantage back to a single point after a footblock resulted in the referee pointing to the spot on 22 minutes.

St Eunan’s responded with two quick points from Cathal and Lorcan O’Donnell to restore St Eunan’s three-point lead at the half-time changeover, with the Letterkenny men leading on a 1-5 to 1-2 point scoreline.

Blake, with another trademark point, got St Eunan’s up and running within seconds of the restart for a four-point advantage. 

With the game being played at a frenetic pace and swinging from end-to-end Mark Burke, a second-half substitute, and Joe Kennedy split the post at the other end.

O'Donnell, who was lively throughout, nailed over his third point, five minutes into the new half for a 1-7 to 1-4 lead. 

But as is their trademark, Naomh Conaill refused to surrender, and with Joe Kennedy and Sean Doherty to the fore, they took control of the encounter,

Noel Gavaghan pointed two close frees, before the number 14 found Doherty cutting in from the right handside to play the ball to him. And the wing-forward did not disappoint as he placed the ball to the back of the St Eunan’s net for Naomh Conaill’s second goal. 

Naomh Conaill now found themselves in front for the first time since Robbie McDonnell’s first-minute score, as they led 2-7 to 1-7 with 20 minutes still to play. 

And Cian Kelly was on hand with a fine point, extending Naomh Conaill’s lead out to three shortly after.

But it was then St Eunan’s strength in depth that came into play in the final quarter as substitute Thomas Roache kicked two quick points after being sprung into action.

Calvin Aidoo, with his first touch for St Eunan’s, brought the game back to a one-score affair at 1-9 to 2-7, while Paddy McGowan levelled the tie in the last seconds of normal time. 

Naomh Conaill finished the half with Johnny McLoone in the sin bin after he was black carded shortly after being introduced and wasn’t to return until the third minute of extra-time, with the scoreline finishing 1-10 to 2-7 after normal time.

St Eunans pulled away again in extra-time as Conal McGinley, who also picked up a black card in the extra-time, Roache, Aidoo, and Paddy McGowan, all led the way for St Eunan’s by raising white flags, while Johnny McLoone posted Naomh Conaill’s only point of the extra-time just before the half-time whistle of extra-time went.

But it was not enough, as St Eunan’s spread the gap to finish this C final on a 1-14 to 2-8 scoreline in Convoy, in what they hope will be their first of three adult championships this weekend. 

St Eunan’s scorers: Eddie Blake 1-3; Lorcan O’Donnell 0-3; Thomas Roache, Calvin Aidoo, Paddy McGowan 0-2 each; Cathal O’Donnell, and Conal McGinley 0-1 each.
Naomh Conaill scorers: Noel Gavaghan 1-2, 1pen, 2fs; Sean Doherty 1-0; Robbie McDonnell, Michael Tremble, Joe Kennedy, Marc Burke, Johnny McLoone, and Cian Kelly  0-1 each. 

St Eunans: Niall Forde; Cathal O’Donnell, Sean Freeburn, Ryan Hilferty; Ruairi Kavanagh, David Horgan, Thomas O’Donnell; Conal McGinley, Rory Kavanagh; Lorcan Harvey, Conall Dunne, Lorcan O’Donnell, Eddie Blake, Patrick Tobin, John McIntyre. Subs: Paddy McGowan for L Harvey (h/t) Thomas Roache for E Blake (44); Eoghan Farren for C Dunne (50); Donnacha Devenney for P Tobin (52); Calvin Aidoo for T O’Donnell (53). Thomas Grant for C O’Donnell (64); David O’Donnell for J McIntyre (75). 

Naomh Conaill: James Boyle; Ronan Breslin, Charles McDonnell, Aidan McElroy; Cian Kelly, Jackie Chan, Robbie McDonnell; Seamus O’Luiagh, Michael Tremble; Sean Doherty, Joe Kennedy, Odhran McCallig; Conor Gildea, Noel Gavaghan, Oisin Campbell. Subs: Dermot Ward for O’Luaigh (18) Mark Burke for O Campbell (h/t); Johnny McLoone for O McCallig (48); Adam O’Luaigh for Tremble (51); Odhran McCallig for Breslin (61); Eoin Boyle for Gildea (80).

Referee: Clint Marron (Urris)