St Eunan's make quarter-finals with seven point win over St Michael's

St Eunan’s made it into the top four and will go straight into the quarter-finals of the Donegal SFC with a seven-point win over St Michael’s in the Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

A game of two halves with a strong breeze, a couple of two-pointers from Shane O’Donnell and Conor O’Donnell Jnr (frees) helped them into a strong lead, and a Kieran Tobin goal before the break left them 1-13 to 0-4 ahead with that wind advantage.

St Michael’s battled back knowing score difference could be key for their hopes in making the top 12, and two-pointers from Daniel McLaughlin and Michael Langan (2) helped them to do so despite losing.

The result put the Letterkenny men second, while St Michael’s scraped through to the preliminary quarter-finals by just two scores on points difference.

Andrew Kelly got the first score with an early free, but it was all the away side in the opening half with that big wind.

Eoin McGeehin levelled things after a couple of St Eunan’s wides, while Shane O’Donnell kicked a pair of two-pointers.

McGeehin fisted over from close range to make it a five-point lead after the first quarter, while Conor O’Donnell Jnr kicked a free that was brought forward.

Conor O’Donnell Snr then got in on the act in acres of space from outside the arc, with Colin McFadden getting a second score for St Michael’s from close range.

Donnell Jnr kicked over another free outside the arc, as Michael Langan responded with a close-range free from off the ground.

A Shane O’Donnell jinking run ended in a point, while Max Roarty got a final score of the half for the hosts in added time.

But from Shaun Patton’s booming kickout, St Michael’s won it, but they were turned over by Conor O’Donnell Snr high up, and he played in an unmarked Kieran Tobin, who fired low into the bottom left corner for a 1-13 to 0-4 lead at the break.

And despite being against the wind, the visitors got three of the four scores over the opening ten minutes of the second half, started by McGeehin.

Daniel McLaughlin replied with a two-pointer, while O’Donnell Jnr (free) and Dowling made it a 13-point game.

But Michael Langan hit two huge scores, the first outside the arc from play, and the next a free outside the ‘45 near the sideline.

Ciarán Moore had a great goal chance go just wide, but McGeehin got his fourth point soon after.

A McLaughlin free left ten in it, and while Carlos O’Reilly had the ball in the net, he was done for overcarrying and O’Donnell Jnr got a point at the other end, their last score of the match.

But St Michael’s just needed to keep their score difference down, and they did so with late points from O’Reilly, a Langan sideline and a McLaughlin free to close the gap to seven.

Shaun Patton almost undid that work with a ‘45 that almost went the whole way in if not for an Oisin Cannon save, but it stayed 1-18 to 0-14, which put St Eunan’s into second place in the standings, while St Michael’s avoided the bottom four on points difference by just two points.

St Michael’s scorers: Michael Langan 0-6,1tp,1tpf,1f,1s/l; Daniel McLaughlin 0-4,1tp,2f; Andrew Kelly (f), Colin McFadden, Max Roarty and Carlos O’Reilly 0-1 each

St Eunan’s scorers: Conor O’Donnell Jnr 0-6,2tpf,1f; Shane O’Donnell 0-5,2tp; Eoin McGeehin 0-4; Kieran Tobin 1-0; Conor O’Donnell Snr 0-2,1tp; Eoin Dowling 0-1.

St Michael’s: Oisin Cannon; Fionn Chernick, Kyle McGarvey, Stephen Doak; Oisin Langan, Michael McGinley, Michael Cannon; Martin McElhinney, Michael Langan; Colin McFadden, Daniel McLaughlin, Max Roarty; Eddie O’Reilly, Andrew Kelly, Carlos O’Reilly.

Subs: Conan Brennan for Kelly (ht), Packie Spiers for Chernick (45)

St Eunan’s: Shaun Patton; Noah Barrett, Caolan Ward, Josh Hay; Kieran Tobin, Conor O’Donnell Snr, Oran Winston; Ciarán Moore, Eoin Dowling; Brian MacIntyre, Shane O’Donnell, James Kelly; Dylan Doogan, Eoin McGeehin, Conor O’Donnell Jnr.

Subs: Luke McGuinness for MacIntyre (45), Pauric McGettigan for Doogan (53)

Referee: Cathal Boland (Ardara)