Goals prove decisive as Dungloe defeat Urris in U15B final

Late goals from John O’Sullivan and then Kyle Bonner rubber-stamped Dungloe’s victory in the County U-15B final against an Urris team who were much closer than the scoreboard showed at the end.

Dungloe 3-6
Urris 0-6

With just six minutes left to play Adrian Sweeney’s Dungloe held a selder 1-4 to 0-6 lead and Urris midfielder Mark Doherty was unlucky to see an attempted leveller miss the target by inches.

Dungloe had built their foundation courtesy of a goal in only the fifth minute when Michael O’Donnell appeared to be trying to put the ball over or even into the Urris square, only to see it nestle in the top corner.

It gave Dungloe something to work off and at the first water-break they were in a 1-1 to 0-1 lead, with O’Sullivan adding a point and the impressive Oisin Cooney opening the account for the side from Inishowen.

By half-time the side from the Rosses were three to the good still, with the score moving onto 1-3 to 0-3. Cooney from long range and then Lorcan McGonagle on the run were the Urris second quarter point-scorers and midfielders Killian Gillespie and Lucas Clerkin scored for Dungloe.

Urris were, thanks to Cooney, still in touch by the three-quarter mark, with another two points to Dungloe’s scorer in part three, Clerkin. Urris lost corner-forward Oisin Ward to a black card before the second half water-break, by which point the trailed 1-4 to 0-5.

Jack Doherty created a half-chance for substitute Aaron Cregan on 48 minutes, only for Adam Boyle in the Dungloe goal to make a vital save and Cooney’s fifth of the evening brought Urris back to one down.

At this stage, it was anyone’s. Dungloe seized the initiative, when, following a Michael O’Donnell point, they produced a brilliant goal from O’Sullivan, who cut in from the left side and drilled an unstoppable shot past Callum Grant into the top corner with just two minutes left. Gillespie added another point moments later.

Urris had to go for broke but were caught when Danny McCready was involved and a loose ball was stabbed home for a third goal by Bonner in injury time. Urris kept battling and almost nabbed a consolation goal through Jack Doherty, only for Dylan O’Donnell, the Dungloe wing-back, to save on the line.

Goals, as they say, win games and Dungloe proved just that.

Dungloe: Adam Boyle; Eoin O’Hagan, Aaron Neely, Christopher O’Donnell; Ryan Grannell, Patrick O’Donnell, Dylan O’Donnell; Killian Gillespie (0-2), Lucas Clerkin (0-2, 1f); Michael O’Donnell (1-1), Caolan McDaid, Colin Ferry; Joe McElroy, Kyle Bonner (1-0), John O’Sullivan (1-1). Subs: Danny McCready, Odhran Mulligan, Mark Boyle, Michael Houston. Patrick Molloy

Urris: Callum Grant; Cian Doherty, Dermot Doherty, Shea McEleney; Rossan Doherty, Jack Doherty, Lorcan McGonagle (0-1); Oisin Cooney (0-5, 3f), Mark Doherty; Patrick Doherty, Logan McDaid, Cian O’Leary; Joe Doherty, Diezel Long, Oisin Ward. Sub: Aaron Cregan

Referee: Pat Barrett (Milford).