Naomh Ultan preserve Intermediate status with emphatic victory over Naomh Colmcille

Naomh Ultan will play in the Donegal Intermediate Football Championship next month after cruising to victory over Naomh Colmcille in the deferred 2020 relegation play-off at O’Donnell Park.

Naomh Ultan 2-13
Naomh Colmcille 0-5

A strong second quarter swung the balance of power towards the team from the south-west, going from 0-3 to 0-3 to 1-6 to 0-3 ahead by the break. A goal in the 20th minute from James Byrne scored the first of his two goals when he rounded off a move involving Daniel Gallagher and Alan Lyons. 

Points in that same timeframe from Gallier, Byrne and Darragh Murrin made for a six-point half-time lead and even then it looked like no way back for Naomh Colmcille, who failed to score between the 16th minute and the 50th. Byrne added a second goal in the closing stages.

It means that the side from Dunkineely will take their place in Group B of the competition alongside Dungloe, Naomh Muire, Malin, Red Hugh’s and Naomh Brid, while  Naomh Colmcille return to the junior ranks faced with Carndonagh, Naomh Padraig Muff, Letterkenny Gaels and Pettigo.

Nine minutes in, there was a change of official with Connie Doherty coming in for Shaun McDaid, who took his place on the line.

By then, it was 0-2 to 0-1 for Naomh Colmcille, with Daniel Clarke and Conor Grant on the mark after a lead point from Cian Kennedy of Naomh Ultan. 

Before all that, Matthew Whoriskey in the Naomh Colmcille goal had a bit of a lucky escape when he was almost caught out by a hooked effort at a point, presumably, from Cian Kennedy, which dipped and struck the post.

By the first half water-break, it was 0-3 to 0-3 with Alan Lyons and Peter Alvery scoring for Naomh Ultan and Hugh O’Donnell levelling it for Naomh Colmcille with the last kick of the opening quarter.

From there, it was dominant from Paddy White’s team to move six in front and they might’ve had a penalty when Murrin looked to have clearly been fouled by Whoriskey in goal. Referee Doherty had a great view though, and shook his head.

Murrin extracted some sort of revenge early in the second half with a fine point and then when Sean White also scored, it was 1-8 to 0-3 for Naomh Ultan. Naomh Colmcille might’ve got an avenue back into the match only for Daniel McGlynn to save with his feet from Shane Monaghan then at the other end, Daniel Gallagher scored at the other end. 

Kennedy then scored his side’s first score from a free, on 46 minutes and Lyons added a mark. Naomh Ultan went into the second water break 1-11 to 0-3 in front with Mark Callaghan’s team having not scored since before the first.

They did end their 34-minute sabbatical through a James Kernan score, which only acted as a prelude to two further Naomh Ultan points, with Mark Hutcheson and White popping over.

Shane Monaghan rounded McGlynn and had a glorious chance, only to skew his shot high when faced with a yawning goal and see it come back down off the upright. Again, though, there looked to be a foul inside the small square but Doherty shook the head once more.

Byrne’s second goal came on 55 minutes when he slapped in from close range after a surging run by Murrrin. Clarke scored Naomh Colmcille’s fifth point in the last minute, which was barely even consolation.

Naomh Ultan: Daniel McGlynn; Ryan Rose, Christopher Boyle, Aaron Kyles; Joe Alvey, Aidan Duffy, Mark Hutcheson (0-1); Dermot Gallier (0-2), Shaun White (0-2); James Byrne (2-1), Cian Kennedy (0-1, 1f), Daniel Gallagher (0-1); Peter Alvey (0-1), Alan Lyons (0-2, 1m), Darragh Murrin (0-2). Subs: Jordan Watters for Duddy (41), Jonathan Bach for Byrne (55), Dermot McGlynn and Michael Breslin for Murrin and White (58).

Naomh Colmcille: Matthew Whoriskey; Paul Friel, Eddie Gillespie, James Kernan (0-1); Bradley Doherty, John Fullerton, Hugh O'Donnell (0-1); Daniel Clarke (0-2), Stephen Gallagher; Jordan Gallagher, Michael Friel, Reece Duncan; Shane Monaghan, Conor Grant (0-1), Sean Bond. Subs: William Gillespie for Kernan (10), Keenan Diver for E Gillespie (23), E Gillespie for Bond (40), Bond for Fullerton (48)

Referees: Shaun McDaid (Urris) and Connie Doherty (Naomh Conaill).