Dominant St Eunan's leave no doubt in dethroning Naomh Conaill

St Eunan's ended Naomh Conaill's dominance and left no doubt in the process as they were crowned Donegal SFC winners for the first time since 2014.

St Eunan's 1-11

Naomh Conaill 0-4

It was a dominant hour by Rory Kavanagh's team, who delivered their finest performance this year to dethrone 13-man Naomh Conaill.

For Naomh Conaill, this was a first defeat in 26 Championship games – a sequence stretching to their 2019 Ulster final loss against Kilcoo.

Eoin McGeehin's goal in the 24th minute had St Eunan's 1-3 to 0-3 ahead at half-time and a dominant third quarter had the black and amber ribbons destined for the handles of the Dr Maguire Cup.

All bar one of their scores came from play. 'Keeper Shaun Patton converted a '45 in the 35th minute and Kieran Tobin capped a fine Championship with a score that opened up a five-point deficit.

When Eunan Doherty was sent off in the 40th minute for a second booking, Naomh Conaill's reign was dangling by the thinnest of threads. Five minutes from the end, Charles McGuinnes was also given his marching orders, the full-forward given his second caution.

Niall O'Donnell, the St Eunan's captain, ignited the Cathedral Town faithful with a majestic score from the right and Padraig McGettigan did likewise from the left. For good measure, those points sandwiched Conor O'Donnell senior's tidy point to give St Eunan's an eight-point and one-man advantage as they headed down the home stretch.

Tobin put nine between them before Naomh Conaill broke their second-half duck - 24 minutes in – when Patton turned over from Ciaran Thompson.

By then, it was all rather academic as St Eunan's were firmly on the march.

While Naomh Conaill were hot favourites, St Eunan's arrived quietly confident. And it was with good reason, too, the Letterkenny men having been agonisingly close in each of the previous two years.

In 2019, Eoghan McGettigan's injury time point squeezed Naomh Conaill from a semi-final. Last year, also at the penultimate phase, St Eunan's pushed Naomh Conaill to the dying moments of extra time, before being pipped at the post,

Tobin fetched possession for St Eunan's from a kick-out by Stephen McGrath. When Tobin offloaded to Peter McEniff, the black and amber support stirred.

With Eoin McGeehin in an amount of space that belied the defensive nature of the afternoon until then, the outcome seemed inevitable.

McEniff floated into McGeehin and the 22-year-old fired to the Town End net.

Moments later, 2012 All-Ireland winner Anthony Thompson denied Padraig McGettigan with a brave block as St Eunan's went in search of another major.

It was a slow burner to begin with and the teams were deadlocked at just a point apiece when the first water break was called.

McGeehin had a brief sight of the bullseye when he elected to take a fisted point in the fourth minute.

Naomh Conaill captain Ciaran Thompson curled over a delicious free to level it up.

McGrath saved from Shane O'Donnell after a move involving Aaron Deeney and Conor O'Donnell senior in the 10th minute and it wasn't until McGeehin rattled the Town End net that the aftrernoon came to life.

Niall O'Donnell's booming 45-metre score, off the outside of his right boot, had St Eunan's 1-3 to 0-3 ahead at half-time.

Until Leo McLoone split the sticks in added time at the end of the half, Naomh Conaill's only scores arrived via a pair of Ciaran Thompson frees, in the 14th and 27th minutes.

There were only three points between them at the changeover.

By the end, there was daylight.

For St Eunan's, this was title number 15 – and perhaps one of the best of them all.

Naomh Conaill: Stephen McGrath; Ultan Doherty, Jason Campbell, Kevin McGettigan; Ethan O'Donnell, Anthony Thompson, Eoin Waide; Leo McLoone (0-1), Ciaran Thompson (0-3, 2f); Eunan Doherty, Odhran Doherty, Marty Boyle; Jeaic Mac Ceallabhui, Charles McGuinness, Kieran Gallagher. Subs: Brendan McDyer for Boyle (38), Keelan McGill for Gallagher, Dermot Molloy for U.Doherty (40), Nathan Byrne for Waide (46), John O'Malley for O.Doherty (60+2).

St Eunan's: Shaun Patton (0-1, 1 '45); Peter Devine, Caolan Ward, Aaron Deeney; Kieran Tobin (0-2), Conor O'Donnell snr (0-1), Peter McEniff; Darragh Mulgrew, Kevin Kealy; Eoin Dowling, Shane O'Donnell (0-2), Sean McVeigh; Padraig McGettigan (0-1), Niall O'Donnell (0-3), Eoin McGeehin (1-1). Subs: Conor O'Donnell jnr for McGeehin (46), Eamonn Doherty for Deeney (46), Sean McGettigan for Kealy (53), Anthony Gallagher for McEniff (59), Ronan McGeehin for P..McGettigan (60+2).

Referee: Enda McFeely