St Naul’s withstand late Killybegs fightback to lift U-21 C title 

St Naul’s are the new U-21 C football champions following a narrow two-point win over Killybegs on Friday night. 

The Mountcharles side held a firm upper hand for most of the hour in Convoy but somehow allowed the Fishermen to gain a late foothold in matters when substitute Josh Cunningham netted with five minutes to go.

Still, St Naul’s composed themselves and two quckfire overs eased that late tension.

On a frosty evening at the Donegal GAA Training Centre, it was St Naul’s that got the better of the opening half exchanges as they exited 0-7 to 0-3 to the good. 

Declan Duignan kicked all but one of those overs with that first-half haul including five frees. He opened the scoring on four minutes while Killybegs’ response straight down the other side was through Edward McHugh. 

Niall Prenderville and another Duignan free made it 3-1 on eight minutes while Killybegs’ second point, through Christopher Mulligan, halved the deficit. 

Patrick Burke’s side then took a firm grip to rattle off the next three points with Duignan kicking that entire trio - all from frees from the hands. 

On 22 minutes,  Mulligan grabbed his second as Killybegs moved to three. However, with Duignan nailing the last point of the first period, St Naul’s departed with a four-point advantage. 

The second-half was slow to bubble but on 39 minutes it took a brilliant save from Josh Colyer to deny Duignan after Jonathan O’Droscoll’s effort from out the park came back off the top of a post. 

Still, St Naul’s would turnover possession on the subsequent kickout and ‘usual suspect’ Duignan made it a five-point game at 0-8 to 0-3.  

Nearing the fourth and final quarter, it looked close to a done deal for Naul’s as Duignan moved them further in front as the latter notched his eighth of the contest. But Killybegs had other ideas and threatened to turn this one completely on its head.

And ten minutes out from the end a Mulligan delivery from deep was flicked onto Peter Shallow’s crossbar by Killybegs’ substitute Eamon Curran and with Joseph McGroary cleaning up from the breaking ball, his side were finally off the mark in the second-half. 

Killbegs quickly added another through another replacement Naoise O’Hagan as 0-9 now led 0-5. And a game that St Naul’s seemed to be in complete control off threatened to unravel completely five minutes out from time when Killybegs goaled. 

Superb direct running from substitute Alex McBrearty seen him progess in from the left and his flighted square across goal was slapped home by Cunningam. 

Suddenly, just a single point split the sides but Naul’s, to their credit, lifted matters once more right at the death with replacements Conor Campbell grabbing a mark and Christian Ward also registering. 

Killybegs did pull one final point back deep in injury time through O’Hagan while a second yellow card on the stroke of full-time seen Andrew Mullen sent off. 

St Naul’s scorers: Declan Duignan 0-8,1f; Niall Prenderville 0-1; Conor Campbell 0-1,1m; Christian Ward 0-1.

Killybegs scorers: Josh Cunningham 1-0; Christopher Mulligan 0-2,1f; Naoise O’Hagan 0-2; Joseph McGroary 0-1; Edward McHugh 0-1. 

St Naul’s: Peter Shallow; Shea Byrne, Shane Breslin, David McGettigan; Kevin Rose, Oisin Mogan, Darragh Burke; Barry Burke, Niall Prenderville; Danny Burke, Jonathan O’Driscoll, Oisin Burke; Rory Kennedy, Declan Duignan, Odhran Breslin. 

Subs: Christian Ward for  D Burke (28), Conor Campbell for O Breslin (35), Eoin Kennedy for McGettigan (48).

Killybegs: Josh Colyer; Alex McBrearty, Mairin Heraghty, Adam O’Neill; Ben Conneely, Jospeph McGroary, Ambrose McGee; Ethan Byrne, Edward McHugh; Gavin Doherty, Christopher Mulligan, Daithi Byrne;vEoin Mulligan, Andrew Mullen, Jack Moore. 

Subs: Naoise O’Hagan for Doherty (30+3), Eamon Curran and Josh Cunningham for Mullen and McGee (both ht), Michael Cunningham for Moore (38).

Referee: Connie Doherty (Naomh Conaill).