Letterkenny Gaels power to victory against St Mary's, Convoy

Letterkenny Gaels got up and running following a strong finish against an understrength St Mary’s in Convoy on Sunday afternoon.

Last year’s beaten finalists had seven points to spare at the finish against a dogged St Mary's who hung in for the best part of three quarters of the keenly contested encounter.

But in the final quarter, the superior fitness and skill of the Gaels saw them pull away from leading by two points, 0-12 to 0-10 with 20 minutes remaining, to run out seven-point winners.

St Mary's did not look like a team that was down up to a half dozen regulars due to injury and a number of players in the US in the opening exchanges.

Playing with the aid of the strong breeze, they led 0-6 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter hour thanks to the industry of Bryan McNamee and Johnny Kee in the middle of the field and the attacking exploits of Pauric Gordon and Corrie-lee Bogan.

Gordon was St Mary’s best player over the 60-plus minutes. Bogan and Mark Gordon kicked two-pointers each, and Gordon added another, as did McNamee for St Mary’s opening six points.

Paddy Doherty, Conor McBrearty and Matthew Winters accounted for the Gaels' three early scores.

But with Diarmuid Ó Cathail, Brian Diver, Michael Sweeney and Cathal Doherty imposing their influence, Aidy Glackin’s men reeled off five points without response, and turned the game around and led 0-8 to 0-6 as the half-time whistle loomed.

Mark Gordon, with his second two-point free of the half, sent the sides in level at 0-8 each at the halfway stage.

Man of the match Ó Cathail drew first blood for the winners with the opening point of the new half within 15 seconds of the restart following a trademark searing run.

The Gaels were now back in front by a point, 0-9 to 0-8.

McBrearty with a two-point free opened up a three-point gap between the teams once again.

The lion-hearted John Doherty got the first of St Mary’s three second-half scores, landing a two-pointer from play to trim the Gaels' advantage to a single point.

That was on 36 minutes and as close as St Mary's were to get before the Ó Cathail-powered Gaels pulled away to outscore the locals by eight points to two in the closing 20 minutes.

St Mary’s scorers: Mark Gordon 0-4, 2tpf; Corrie-lee Bogan 0-4, 2tp; John Doherty 0-2,1tp; Conor Patton and Bryan McNamee 0-1 each.

Letterkenny Gaels: Callum McGilloway 0-7,3tpf; Conor McBrearty 0-4,3f; Cathal Doherty and Matthew Winters 0-2 each; Paddy Doherty, Conor Walker, Brian Diver and Jack Keys 0-1 each.

St Mary’s, Convoy: Mark Gordon; Sean Doherty, Conor McDaid, Eamon Coyle; Gary Dorrian, John Doherty, Oran Patterson; Bryan McNamee, John A Kee; John Moore, Laurence McMullan, Pauric Gordon; Corrie-lee Brogan, Conor Patton, Daithi Gordon.

Subs: Dannan O’Kane for J Kee (36); Conor Gordon for McMullan (37).

Letterkenny Gaels: Ryan Graham; Aaron Bonner, Conor Browne, Charlie Robinson; Cathal Doherty, Liam McAlary, Michael Sweeney; Darren Hunter, Diarmuid Ó Cathail; Paddy Doherty, Brian Diver, Conor Walker; Matthew Winters, Conor McBrearty, Callum McGilloway.

Subs: Jack Keys for P Doherty (48); Mark Patterson for Walker (54), Conor Cullen for Ó Cathail (60).

Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs).