David Boyle leads the way for St Eunan's in comfortable U-21A win over Milford

David Boyle of St Eunan’s hit a hat-trick of goals as St Eunan’s enjoyed a routine victory over Milford  in the U-21 Championship at O’Donnell Park.

St Eunan’s 5-15
Milford 0-6

In miserable wintery conditions, the game was essentially over once St Eunan's got going in the second quarter. The Letterkenny side had drawn with MacCumhaill’s first day 0-9 to 1-6 out before winning 1-9 to 1-7 in Gaoth Dobhair on their second outing and went through the phases to overcome a Milford team who had lost their opening two. The Moyle view side went down 4-13 to 0-0 in Mageragallon before being beaten by Termon, 3-19 to 0 1-4.

The visitors started well enough and even led 0-2 to 0-1 five minutes in with Eoin O'Donnel and Rory O’Donnell posting points after Dylan Doogan opened the scoring for the hosts.

However, from then on it was one-way traffic towards the Town End. Oran Winston put over three from play; Kieran Tobin, Shane O’Donnell, Ciaran Moore and Padraig McGettigan all adding points, with David Boyle hitting 2-3 in the first half alone. 

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The first goal came on 15 minutes when he arrowed a shot past Eoin McGettigan in the Milford goal. St Eunan’s were 1-10 to 0-2 in front a minute before half-time before adding two goals before the break.

The first of those came courtesy of Boyle again, with another assured finish from Padraig McGettigan’s pass, although Winston made a telling block in front of his own goal which set the attack in motion.

Then, Ellison tucked home a third almost instantly, with Shane O’Donnell playing the pass, so St Eunan’s were 3-11 to 0-2 ahead at half-time.

It got no better for Milford as within three minutes, an attempted pass from O’Donnell was partially intercepted only for Boyle to punch the loose ball past McGettigan. A free from Eoin O’Donnell at the other end concluded Milford’s 31-minute scoreless sequence, in which time Peter Devine and Sean McVeigh’s jome team had hit an uninterrupted total of 4-11.

A fifth St Eunan’s goal came courtesy of substitute Eoin O’Donnell, who saw the ball rebound into the net off him when Ellison’s shot came back off the woodwork. 

With conditions worsening and the fire the most appealing of options come early evening, the second half was pedestrian with Milford knocking over a few late scores, through Eoin O'Donnell and Rory O’Donnell.

St Eunan’s scorers: David Boyle 3-4, 3f; Daragh Ellison and Eoin O’Donnell 1-0;  Oran Winston 0-3; Dylan Doogan, Kieran Tobin, Shane O’Donnell, Ciaran Moore, Eoin Dowling, Donnacha Devenney 0-1, Padraig McGettigan 0-2, 1f. 
Milford scorers: Eoin O'Donnell 0-4, 3f; Rory O’Donnell 0-2.

St Eunan’s: Oisin Randles; Donal Higgins, Nathan Plumb, Ultan McGuinness; Cian McMonagle, Kieran Tobin, Dylan Doogan; Eoin Dowling, Noel O’Donnell; Oran Winsteron, Shane O’Donnell; Ciaran Moore,  David Boyle, Padraig McGettigan. Subs: David Horgan, Donnacha Devenney and Eoin Doherty for Higgins, S O’Donnell and N O’Donnell (33); Gavin McCarron and Josh Haye for Moore and Tobin (42)

Milford: Eoin McGettigan; Dylan McGarry, Anthony Curran, Liam Donnelly; Paul Ryan, Eoin O'Donnell, Shaun Coffey;  Rory O’Donnell, Gavin Riney; Michael McBride, Dylan Dorrian, Owen McElhinney; Johnny McCallum, Killian McBride, Daithi McGinley. Sub: Odhran Doherty for McCallum (43)

Referee: Anthony Finn (Naomh Colmcille)