St Eunan's turn the tide on St Michael's to clinch for first win of 2022

St Eunan’s recovered from a five-point first half deficit to record their first win of 2022 against St Michael’s in Dunfanaghy.

St Michael’s 1-6
St Eunan’s 2-8

The hosts made the brighter start, moving into a 1-2 to 0-0 lead with Kyle McGarvey finding the net, only for the visitors to turn things to lead 1-5 to 1-2 by half-time, with Eoin McGeehin the goalscorer. Jordan O’Dowd, late in the day, capped things off.

In Cathal Sweeney and Raymond McLaughlin’s first home match in Dunfanaghy, conditions were difficult. But the new management team, who won at Gaoth Dobhair on week one, would’ve been reasonably content with their opening against the Letterkenny team who sat things out last weekend.

St Michael’s had plenty of possession having posted the opening two scores from Colin McFadden and Liam Paul Ferry, grabbed a goal on 17 minutes from McGarvey for a 1-2 to 0-0 lead. However, seeing Oisin Langan trudge off with an injury was an early blow.

Three minutes later St Eunan’s opened their account with a goal of their own. Eoin McGeehin controlled a shot into the top corner with his instep having been given a pass by Noel O’Donnell. Ronan McGeehin then tapped over a point, as did Noel O’Donnell on 26 to level it up at 1-2 apiece.

Rory Kavanagh’s side continued on the front foot with scores before half-time from Cormac Finn, Conor O’Donnell jnr and Conor McEniff, which meant they’d turned a five-point deficit into a 1-5 to 1-2 interval lead.

Eoin McGeehin opened the second half scoring which meant an unanswered 1-6 for St Eunan’s before St Michael’s halted the slide with Daniel O’Reilly’s free then a point from McFadden. On 40 minutes, St Eunan’s were 1-6 to 1-4 in front.

The McGeehins scored a point apiece to edge their team into a four-point lead with 11 to play. Eoghan Kelly pulled one back for St Michael’s with just over four minutes left to take them back to three down, 1-8 to 0-5.

However, with those in red pushing up on Eoin O’Boyle’s kick-out, Ronan McGeehin won a clever overhead slap to set Eoin away and with Conor O’Donnell and O’Dowd rammed home a second goal two minutes from the end.

St Michael’s scorers: Kyle McGarvey 1-0; Colin McFadden 0-2; Edward O’Reilly 0-2, 2f; Liam Paul Ferry and Eoghan Kelly 0-1.

St Eunan’s scorers: Eoin McGeehin 1-2; Ronan McGeehin 0-2, Noel O’Donnell, Cormac Finn, Conor O’Donnell jnr and Conor McEniff 0-1.

St Michael's: Oisin Cannon; Jamie Hunter, Liam Paul Ferry, Stephen Doak; Eoghan Kelly, Oisin Langan, Hugh O'Donnell; Bryan Creed, Kyle McGarvey; Conan Brennan, Colin McFadden, John McFadden; Andrew Kelly, Martin McElhinney, Ruairi Friel. Subs: Edward O’Reilly for Langan (17), Lee McColgan for Brennan (38), Carlow O’Reilly for J McFadden (46), Paddy McGinley for Friel (58), Shane Langan for Kelly (60)

St Eunan’s: Eoin O’Boyle; Donall Higgins, Conor Parke, Peter Devine; Dylan Doogan, Conor O’Donnell snr, Noel O’Donnell; Jordan O’Dowd, Ronan McGeehin; James Kelly, Conor O’Donnell jnr, Oran Winston; Cormac Finn, Eoin McGeehin, Conor McEniff. Subs: Dualtach Molloy for McEniff (48)

Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary’s, Convoy).