Naomh Conaill take Senior B title with win over St Eunan's

Daragh Gallagher rolled back the years as the 2005 veteran spurred his side to their first B County title since 2017 against St Eunan’s at Sean MacCumhaill Park.

Naomh Conaill 1-7
St Eunan's 0-5

He kicked four points and a brilliant solo goal from Marc Burke decided the game for the Glenties men. The goal was a real gem in the 21st minute when speedy full-forward Marc Burke latched on to a long ball from Nathan Byrne and showed fantastic pace as he outsped two St Eunan's defenders and slid the ball to the net to put Naomh Conaill into a 1-3 to 0-3 lead.

And that was the significant score of the match as Naomh Conaill led by 1-5 to 0-4 at the break. But the second half was a dour affair with scores at a premium for both sides.

St Eunan's sub Rory Carr had a late chance of a goal but it was superbly saved by Naomh Conaill keeper Paudie Brennan. Had that gone in we might have had a tight finish. Instead it was Naomh Conaill who tacked on points from the impressive Hughie Gallagher to seal victory.

St Eunan's started brightly in their pursuit of four-in-a-row and David Boyle got off the mark with two superb scores from the left-hand side, a great curling effort with the outside of the foot, then another great kick from a tight angle.

Darragh Gallagher got Naomh Conaill's first score from a free after 11 minutes, while Boyle pointed from a free but Gallagher equalled it again with a great free of his own. Gallagher got his first from play as the two sides were level on 20 minutes but the Glenties men would soon take the lead as Marc Burke raced through from a long ball, running from the halfway line and the Eunan's men unable to catch him.

Burke at pace took on the shot and fired low past Blake Forkan into the bottom corner. Leon Thompson got the last score of the half after a great ball by Kieran Gallagher and he turned and fired over to make it 1-4 to 0-3 at the interval.

A low scoring half began at a good pace and substitute Lee McMonagle pointed from a free inside two minutes but Gallagher got his fourth point of the game and second from play.

David Boyle pointed from a free on 36 minutes, but it would be the last score for St. Eunan's in the game. A ball in from Cormac Finn found Rory Carr and he turned and shot but a vital save from Paudie Brennan kept the ball out.

And Naomh Conaill secured victory as Kieran Gallagher played in Nathan Byrne for a point before Gallagher got in on the action himself. A late shemozzle saw Cormac Finn red carded.

Naomh Conaill scorers: Daragh Gallagher 0-4, 2f; Marc Burke 1-0; Kieran Gallagher, Nathan Byrne and  Leon Thompson 0-1.
St Eunan's scorers: David Boyle 0-4, 3f; Lee McMonagle 0-1, 1f;  

Naomh Conaill: Paudie Brennan; Logan Quinn, Mark Campbell, Aaron Thompson; Connor Roarty, Shean Roarty, Joe Shankey Smith; Neil Francais Boyle, Nathan Byrne (0-1); Seamus Corcoran, Darragh Gallagher (0-4), Cian Doherty, Kieran Gallagher, Marc Burke, Leon Thompson. Subs: Shane McDevitt for Leon Thompson, (43 mins), Robbie McDonald for Joe Shankey Smith (47 mins), Jordan O'Donnell for Paudie Brennan (52 mins), Tony Byrne for Neil Francais Boyle (56 mins), Michael Donoghue for Darragh Gallagher (61 mins)

St Eunan's: Blake Forkan; Sean Halvey, Darragh Toal, Gavin McCarron; Ryan Hilferty, James Kelly, John Gibbons; Noel O'Donnell, Cian McMonagle; Lorcan O'Donnell, Cormac Finn, Patrick McColgan; David Boyle, Paddy McGowan, Eddie Blake. Subs; Donal Higgins and Lee McMonagle for Gibbons and Lorcan O'Donnell (h-time), Rory Carr for Blake (35), Eunan Diver for McGowan (51), Johnny Lambe for Noel O'Donnell (56).

Referee: Robbie O'Donnell (Naomh Muire)