Four Masters cruise past Dungloe in U-21 A opener 

Four Masters stated their intentions right out the gate in the U-21 A championship as they pummelled Dungloe by 21 points in Donegal Town.

The hosts led by seven at the break but really cut loose in the second period as the visitors struggled to cope with their opponents’ power, pace and directness. 

In what was a sluggish enough opening, it was Seanan Carr that finally grabbed the game's first score on 11 minutes when he lobbed over a free.

The same player had smacked the foot of a post moments earlier in his attempts to get the hosts up and running.

Brother Turlough Carr quickly followed that lead up as John Kennedy's side went two to the good. Dungloe opened their account on the quarter hour mark as Ryan Brennan converted after winning a fine mark.

Still, Masters would take a firm grip on matters between then and the interval as 1-4 uninterrupted eventually helped them into a 1-6 to 0-2 half-time lead.

Conor Reid, Daniel McIntyre, Tulough Carr again and Conor Meehan grabbed the points while David Monaghan bundled home the Four Masters’ goal. Ethan McCaffrey registered Dungloe’s second point on the stroke of half-time. 

Tiernan McBride grabbed Masters’ second goal seconds after the restart and when Seanan Carr rolled home a third on 35 minutes it was game over. 

Carr would arrow home a fourth goal for the home side, from the spot, on 48 minutes while Conor Reid banged in a fifth with ten minutes to go. 

With the likes of Carr, Meehan and substitute Darragh Griffin all keeping the points tally ticking over in between to leave it 5-8 to 0-6, a sixth and final green flag was raised by another Four Masters replacement, Calum Dunnion.

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Dungloe kept plugging away and efforts from Ethan McCaffrey, Conor Diver, Aaron Ward (free), Karl Magee, Patrick O’Donnell and Ryan Brennan meant they finished the hour with an nine-point haul. 

Four Masters scorers: Seanan Carr 2-3,1P, 1f; David Monaghan 1-0; Turlough Carr 0-2; Conor Reid 1-1; Daniel McIntyre 0-1; Conor Meehan 0-3; Tiernan McBride 1-0; Calum Dunnion 1-0; Darragh Griffin 0-1; Caolan Sweeney 0-1. 

Dungloe scorers: Ryan Brennan 0-2, 1m; Ethan McCaffrey 0-3,2f; Conor Diver 0-1; Aaron Ward 0-1,1f; Karl Magee 0-1; Patrick O’Donnell 0-1.  

Four Masters: Lewis McCaughan; Ross O'Keeney, Leo McGowan, Daniel McGinty; Caolan Sweeney, Callum McCrea, David Monaghan; Conor Reid, Theo Colhoun; Daniel McIntyre, Turlough Carr, Oisin Doherty; Conor Meehan, Tiarnan McBride, Seanana Carr.

Subs: Patrick McGonagle for McIntyre and Darragh Griffin for D McGinty (both 42), Calum Dunnion for C Meehan, Alan McHugh for T Carr and Conor Gillespie for C McCrea (all 51).

Dungloe: Damien McGowan; Jordan Saville, Aaron Ward, Dan Kerr; Joe McElroy, Patrick O'Donnell, Karl Magee; Ethan McCaffrey, Luke Clerkin; Cian McGee, Conor Diver, Cianan McDaid; James McEniff, Ryan Brennan, Aidan McGee.

Subs: Eoghan Walsh and Oran Fallon for Diver and McElroy (both 23), Kian Gallagher for Kerr (38), Caelan Bonner for Saville (42)

Referee: Val Murray (Aodh Ruadh)