Donegal Southwest get MacRory Cup campaign off to a flyer with a win over Holy Trinity

The new amalgamated school side Donegal Southwest created history on Thursday afternoon when they opened their MacRory Cup campaign with an eight-point win over Holy Trinity, Cookstown in St Mary’s Banagher. 

Guided by a plethora of talent from five schools across Donegal, it was the Donegal Southwest side who dominated from start to finish, cutting out any hope of a Holy Trinity attack with some superb defending in the second half. 

Playing into an extremely strong wind in the opening half, the Donegal side used the conditions to their advantage, holding a 1-4 to 0-2 lead at the break, with an early goal from Liam Bhreathnach in the opening five minutes of the match setting the tone for a strong first half. 

But Holy Trinity, who are managed by the legendary Tyrone player Peter Canavan, could not replicate their opponents and build up a strong score in the second half, with the Holy Trinity side only landing two points to Donegal Southwest’s 1-1 in the second 30 minutes of the game. 

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Bhreathnach opened the scoring in the second minute when he raised a green flag after a long ball was floated in by Gavin Doherty, resulting in Max Campbell slapping the ball down for the on-running corner-back to palm home into the back of the net. 

Joint captain Shane Callaghan would use the breeze to his favour by knocking over two fine back-to-back points, with Holy Trinity struggling to get out of their own half with the ball. 

Danny Brown would raise his side’s third white flag before Holy Trinity would eventually nail over their first score on the 12th minute when Jamie Concannon split the defence open to nail over his first of the day, while Conor Mallon slotted over an amazing score near the sideline and over his head against the wind, but this would be his side’s last of the half. 

Donegal Southwest had another goal chance before the break when Doherty, again, sailed in a high ball for Brown to fetch, but the resulting effort hit off the post and fell into the hands of a Holy Trinity defender. 

Darragh Hennigan nailed over the final point on the 16th minute as the teams broke for the dressing rooms at the break with the scoreline sitting at 1-4 to 0-2. 

The game failed to be brought to light in the second half, with Callaghan’s goal on the 35th minute the only talking point of the second period when his shot from range fell short, only for goalkeeper Jack McElholm to slap into his own net. 

Two further points from Campbell and a free from Brown was all the Donegal side needed, as they cleaned up superbly in defence when Holy Trinity started kicking long balls into the backline, hoping for a goal that never came. 

Despite the wind as a major factor, credit must go to the Donegal Southwest team who kept their opponents to just 0-2 in the second half, with Concannon kicking over his second on the 41st minute before Karol Wawrynichor hit the final kick of the day from a free to end the contest with Donegal Southwest emerging victorious on a 2-6 to 0-4 scoreline. 

Donegal Southwest scorers: Shane Callaghan 1-2; Liam Bhreathnach 1-0; Danny Brown 0-2, 2fs; Max Campbell and Darragh Hennigan 0-1 each. 
Holy Trinity, Cookstown: Jamie Conconnan 0-2; Conor Mallon 0-1; Karol Wawrynichor 0-1, 1f. 

Donegal Southwest: Padraig McBride; Liam Bhreathnach, Thomas McDevitt, Cathal MacAoidh; Cathal Ó Gallchoir, Jordi Gribben, Max Campbell; Darragh Hennigan, Luke Clerkin; Ethan Byrne, Gavin Doherty, Alex Cunnea; Shane Callaghan, Danny Brown, Cianan McDaid. Subs: Cronan Mac Phaidin for Clerkin (20); Tiarnan Misteal for McDaid (49); Alan Doherty for Gribben (52); Eoghan Ban McNeilis for Doherty and Gavin Sweeney for Brown (both 58).  

Holy Trinity, Cookstown: Jack McElholm; Ryan Forbes, Edan McCartney, Conor Owens; Jamie Concannon, Karol Wawrynichor, JP Doris; Yasia Baba, Conor Devlin; Ruairi O’Neill, Aidan Quinn, Lorcan McDermott; Shea Rafferty, Conor Mallon, Darragh Muldoon. Subs: Conan Gilligan for McDermott (58).