Killybegs safely through to the last eight with win in Cloughaneely

Jack McSharry, Conor Cunningham and Hugh McFadden scored the goals as Killybegs clinched their place in the quarter-finals of the Donegal SFC with victory over Cloughaneely. 

Cloughaneely 0-13
Killybegs 3-12 

County man McFadden also contributed seven points to the eight point-win over the locals on their home turf in St Finnian’s Park in Falcarragh. While the Fishermen were the deserving winners the final margin of victory may have been a tab flattering against a Cloughaneely side who were in the mix for  the best part of 40 minutes.

The locals - who were fighting for their championship survival - opened in whirlwind fashion and posted the game’s opening three points inside six minutes. Full-back Lee O’Brien joined the attack to signal the Cloughaneely intent with the opening point inside the first minute. Shaun Curran with a free close to 50 metres and Paul Sweeney with a super long range strike scored the next two Cloughaneely points. 

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It took a while for Killybegs to settle and it took a Hugh McFadden run from deep to launch their first attack on five minutes only for his shot for a point came back off the upright. But one minute later McFadden and company were up and running when Jack McSharry cracked home the first of the goals after skipping by a series of defenders. 

The goal wiped out all of Cloughaneely's good early work. The sides were level twice more in the next couple  of minutes as the play flowed from end to end before a moment of sheer brilliance and lightning pace took Conor Cunningham, who passed his marker along the endline before he side-footed goal number two past a wrong footed Shaun McClafferty. 

That was on 15 minutes and Killybegs led 2-2 to 0-5. Mark Harley and Jason McGee pulled two points back for the locals. But with McFadden in the grove he clipped over two quick fire frees and Rory Colyer, who had a great battle with McGee all afternoon, added another as Killybegs went ahead by four. 

However, Cloughaneely with the stiff breeze in their backs refused to buckle were still well in the contest at half-time as they traded ends just two a drift. Killybegs led 2-6 to 0-10 at half-time. McSharry and McGee and Hugh McFadden and Ciaran McGeady traded points in the opening 10 minutes of  the second period. 

But with Cloughaneely slow in the build up and Killybegs getting numbers  back in defence. The tide began to turn and with Killybegs breaking with pace and the scores began to flow as they reeled off three points to Cloughaneely’s one to extend their lead out to five for the first time well into the closing 10 minutes. 

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And a five-point lead turned into eight when McFadden struck for goal number three after McClafferty parried away a strike on goal from McSharry. With under seven minutes remaining the game was up and Killybegs were looking forward to a place in the last eight. Cloughaneely battled gamely to the end and Corey Byrne was called upon to make a couple of good saves and John Ban Gallagher took a ball off his own goalline in  the dying seconds as Cloughaneely went for broke. 

Cloughaneely scorers: Jason McGee 0-3,2f, Shaun Curran 0-2,1,f,, Blake McGarvey 0-2, , Leigh O’Brien, Paul Sweeney, Cillian Gallagher, Mark Harley, Ciaran McGeady, 0-1 each, John Fitzgerald 0-1, 1f. 
Killybegs scorers: Hugh McFadden 1-7, 4f, 1’45, Jack McSharry 1-1, Conor Cunningham 1-0, Ryan Cunningham, Christopher Mulligan, Rory Coyler, Odhan McGuinness 0-1, each. 

Cloughaneely: Shaun McClafferty; Ciaran McFadden, Lee O'Brien, Fionn McGinley;  Cian McFadden, Michael Fitzgerald,  Shaun Curran; Paul Seeeney, Darren McGeever; Conor Coyle, Mark Harley, Ciaran McGeady; Cillian Gallagher, Jason McGee, Blake McGarvey. Subs: Martin Maguire for F McGinley, Ciaran Scanlon for P Sweeney, John Fitzgerald for M Fitzgerald, Cathal McGeever for D McGeever. 

Killybegs: Corey Byrne; Seamus Og Byrne, Cillian Gildea; Charles Breslin,  Eoghan Ban Gallagher, John Ban Gallagher;  Evan Broderick, Rory Coyler; Shaun Gorrell, Jack McSharry,  Christopher Mulligan;  Ryan Cunningham , Hugh McFadden, Conor Cunningham. Subs: Odhran McGuinness for S Gorrell, Christopher Murrin for C Mulligan, Donal Maguire for R Cunningham.
Referee: Sean McDaid (Urris).