MacCumhaill's come good to see off St Eunan's in U-17 Division 2 final

A powerful second half performance did the trick for MacCumhaill’s in the County U-17 Division 2 final against St Eunan’s at the Donegal Training Centre.

MacCumhaill’s 0-13
St Eunan’s 1-8

With the sides level at half-time at 0-6 to 1-3, it was the team from the Twin Towns, driven on by Noah Reid at centre-back and half-forward Dan Donnelly who scored nine points, came out on top in the end.

Both parties felt their way into the contest, with the scores level at 0-3 apiece by the 13th minute. St Eunan’s Shay Grieves opened the scoring and the Letterkenny outfit also registered through two frees from Brendan Gaffey, while MacCumhaill’s early scores from Donnelly, either side of a reactive point from Rian McBrearty.

A fine point from Reid edged MacCumhaill’s in front, before a St Eunan’s goal on 16 minutes from Grieves, who gobbled up a rebound after Shay Bradley in the MacCumhaill’s goal had saved Gaffey’s initial effort.

That put St Eunan’s 1-3 to 0-4 in front, and they almost conjured a second goal from Gaffey, who hit the crossbar and then fired the follow-up inches wide. MacCumhaill’s, though, steadied themselves and got themselves in level at the break with two frees from Donnelly.

It was the O’Donnell Park team who opened the scoring in part two, with another Gaffey free and a Shane Ellison point.

A shower brought a bit of zip to the surface and it was MacCumhaill’s who grasped the initiative, with four more from Donnelly frees - two either side of a Gaffey free - making for a 0-10 to 1-6 lead and the accurate forward’s personal total to eight points.

Another fine score, this time from Rory Doherty pushed the margin out to two and Reid made two excellent blocks and MacCumhaill’s impressed defensively and when Rory Doherty, Pauric Kelly and Donnelly scored at the other end, it was 0-13 to 1-6 and although St Eunan’s hit back with two late scores from Ellison and David Horgan, it was MacCumhaill’s who came out on top.

MacCumhaill’s scorers: Dan Donnelly 0-9, 8f; Rian McBrearty, Noah Reid, Pauric Kelly and Rory Doherty 0-1

St Eunan’s scorers: Brendan Gaffey 0-4, 4f Shay Grieves 1-1, Shane Ellison 0-2; David Horgan 0-1.

MacCumhaill’s: Shay Bradley; Lorcan Byrne, Cathair Brady Devenney, Cameron Russell; Davitt Bradley Flynn, Noah Reid, Craig Russell Sean Brady Devenney, Daniel Lynch; Rory Doherty, Dan Donnelly, Pauric Kelly; Rian McBrearty, Daithi McMahon, Conan Murphy.

St Eunan’s: Darragh McGranaghan; Cormac Haran, Killian Barr, Patrick McCormack; Jack Dooher, Stephen Browne, Darragh McGee; David Horgan, Eunan Gallagher; Shay Grieves, Shane Ellison, Brendan Gaffey; John Kealy, Ryan Browne, Joseph Duddy.

Referee: Eugene Drummond (Aodh Ruadh).