St Eunan's set up home quarter-final with Bundoran following easy win

St Eunan’s secured a home quarter-final tie with Bundoran following a one-sided victory over St. Michael’s at O’Donnell Park on Sunday afternoon.

St Eunan’s . . . . 2-13

St Michael’s . . . . 0-7

The Letterkenny men produced another solid performance to ease to victory against a St. Michael’s team who badly missed the injured Michael Langan while worryingly, they lost Colm McFadden to injury early in the second half.

By that stage of this contest, St. Eunan’s were well on their way to victory. They were seven points in front, and then struck for two second half goals to ease to a 12 point win.

On a day when the result would decide their final positions in the top eight, and in turn, their opponents in the quarter final; this was an important game on a number of fronts.

St. Eunan’s, without the injured Conor Morrison, still named a very strong starting 15. They opened well and with less than two minutes gone on the watch, Brian McIntyre had opened their account with a well taken point after receiving a pass from Caolan Ward.

McIntyre would go on to hit four points for the winners and was rightly named man-of-the-match at the end.

St. Michael’s found it very difficult to impose themselves in the early stages.

They defended in numbers - Christopher McElhinney dropping back as an extra defender to help pick up Niall O’Donnell - and it meant that when they did manage to steal possession, invariably their attacks broke down, or ended with a shot from distance dropping short into the arms of Shaun Patton.

By the first water break, the home side were 0-3 to no score in front and looking very comfortable.

St. Michael’s eventually raised a white flag on 18 when Ruairí Friel showed brilliant awareness to loft a shot on the turn over Patton’s bar from distance.

Within 30 seconds, Andrew Kelly pointed again and suddenly it was back to one.

But St. Eunan’s refused to panic and when Caolan Ward sauntered up into attack again, he was able to find his range to put the home team two points ahead.

A string of fine scores followed between then and half-time, all scored by St. Eunan’s, the best of which was a brilliant score from Padraig McGettigan who fetched the ball one handed while holding off his man, turned and pointed from close range.

Six points down at half time, 0-8 to 0-2, St. Michael’s were reduced to 14 men shortly after the resumption when Antoin McFadden picked up a second yellow following a challenge on Peter McEniff.

The St. Eunan’s No. 7 dusted himself down and was soon adding salt to the wounds with a well taken point, the first of the new half.

At the other end, Shaun Patton was called into action, diving low to his left to pull off a fine reaction stop to deny Colin McFadden.

And if things couldn’t get any worse for the visitors, they then lost Colm McFadden to injury with 20 minutes still remaining.

Ciaran Gallagher knocked over a point for St. Michael’s, but on 41 minutes, St. Eunan’s responded with a well worked goal which was finished to the net by the poaching Eoin McGeehin. That put them 1-9 to 0-3 in front.

Their second goal came on 48 - Niall O’Donnell firing the ball to the net after Daragh Mulgrew’s effort rocketed back off the crossbar.

It rounded off another good day at the office for St. Eunan’s who on this display, have to be fancied against Bundoran - especially at home.

St. Michael’s will travel to play Kilcar and while they have two weeks to recover from this game, they will need a big improvement if they are to upset the odds in Towney.

St Eunan’s: Shaun Patton; Peter Devine, Éamonn Doherty, Conor Parke; Caolan Ward (0-2), Darragh Mulgrew (0-1), Peter McEniff (0-1); Conor (Brendan) O’Donnell, Sean McGettigan; James Kelly (0-1), Niall O’Donnell (1-2, 1f 1m), Shane O’Donnell; Brian McIntyre (0-4), Padhraic McGettigan (0-1), Éoin McGeehin (1-0).

Subs: Rory Carr (0-1) for P McGettigan (44), Rory Kavanagh for S McGettigan (46), Sean McVeigh and Kevin Kealy for S O’Donnell and Kelly (52) 

St Michael’s: Oisin Cannon; Liam Kelly, Liam Paul Ferry, Antoin McFadden; Christopher McElhinney, Ciaran Gallagher (0-1), Ruairí Friel (0-1); Martin Breslin, Martin McElhinney (0-1); Carlos O’Reilly, Colin McFadden, Christy Toye; Edward O’Reilly (0-1), Colm McFadden, Andrew Kelly (0-3).

Subs: Kyle McGarvey for Colm McFadden (40), Michael Gallagher for Breslin (44), Odhran McFadden for Toye (54). 

Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary’s, Convoy)