Donegal SFC final

Naomh Conaill 1-9 St Eunan's 2-5

By Chris McNulty in Ballybofey

"It's just a shot away” - In a piece for the match programme, experienced Naomh Conaill forward Brendan McDyer told how The Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter is his favourite song.

In the Donegal SFC for the eleven year, McDyer kicked three excellent points as Naomh Conaill clasped their hands on the Dr Maguire Cup for the sixth time.

In a game of inches, Naomh Conaill prevailed to dethrone St Eunan’s in a repeat of last year’s final.

Twelve minutes into the second half, Charles McGuinness fired to the bottom corner of the River End net. The pass from Odhran Doherty was exquisite, the finish by McGuinness, clinical.

Brendan McDyer, a survivor from Naomh Conaill’s maiden Donegal SFC success seventeen years ago in 2005, rolled the years back with an inspired score to cancel out Sean McVeigh’s response.

St Eunan’s midfielder Kevin Kealy prodded to the net from close range in the 50th minute and they were level, but the Naomh Conaill riposte arrived in an instant, Ciaran Thompson, who was named as the man of the match, slamming over before the 51st was reached.

Conor Morrison equalled the sums again, but Thompson’s 58th minute free would prove the winner. St Eunan’s played keep ball for a large swathe of the additional time and a wide from Sean McVeigh was their sole attempt at forcing the tie to extra time.

Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí and McDyer posted early points as Naomh Conaill made the early hay.

St Eunan’s got off the mark in the 13th minute - and it was a goal. Shane O’Donnell, man of the match in last year’s decider between these two, made the incision and his lofted pass in behind found Eoin McGeehin.

He still had work to do, but McGeehin made no mistake and a composed finish had St Eunan’s in front.

Two minutes later, Niall O’Donnell landed a monster point from 40 metres.

Charles McGuinness reduced the arrears and Naomh Conaill were on level terms when McDyer sailed over a superb effort in the 27th minute.

A scoreless 16-minute spell for St Eunan’s was over when Niall O’Donnell’s free inched them in front just as the first half entered its added-on time.

Aaron Deeney put St Eunan’s two ahead, 1-3 to 0-4, ahead at half-time, but controversy ensued right at the end of the half. In an incident that arose from the same move as Deeney’s point, which was tipped over the crossbar by Naomh Conaill goalkeeper Stephen McGrath, St Eunan’s forward Shane O’Donnell was red-carded.

Naomh Conaill, in their sixth SFC final in succession and a seventh in eight years under Martin Regan, began without 2012 All-Ireland winner Leo McLoone, an injury picked up in the warm-up before their semi-final win over Gaoth Dobhair rendering him unavailable. John O’Malley, who also sat out the semi-final, returned.

With the game in the melting pot, the board went up to signal McLoone’s arrival, three minutes from the end.

The game was postponed last weekend in the wake of the Creeslough explosion, which claimed 10 lives in the north Donegal village and plunged the entire county into mourning.

Football had been far from the minds in the last week and proceedings began with an impeccably-observed minute’s silence in memory of the ten, whose names were read out by stadium announcer Fergus McGee.

Thompson narrowed the margin with a majestic 45-metre free after six minutes of the second half and it was he who arched the winner with Naomh Conaill crowned Donegal’s kings again.

Scorers for Naomh Conaill: Charles McGuinness 1-1; Ciaran Thompson (3f) 0-4; Brendan McDyer 0-3; Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí 0-1.

Scorers for St Eunan’s: Kevin Kealy, Eoin McGeehin 1-0 each; Niall O’Donell (1f) 0-2; Sean McVeigh, Aaron Deeney, Conor Morrison 0-1 each.

Naomh Conaill: Stephen McGrath; Kevin McGettigan, AJ Gallagher, Jason Campbell; Ethan O’Donnell, Anthony Thompson, Eoin Waide; Ciaran Thompson, Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí; Brendan McDyer, Odhran Doherty, Eunan Doherty; John O’Malley, Charles McGuinness, Keelan McGill.

Subs: Leo McLoone for O’Malley (57), Dermot Molloy for McDyer (60), Marty Boyle for O.Doherty (60).

St Eunan’s: Shaun Patton; Conor Parke, Caolan Ward, Aaron Deeney; Peter Devine, Conor O’Donnell senior, Darragh Mulgrew; Sean McGettigan, Kevin Kealy; Ciaran Moore, Shane O’Donnell, Sean McVeigh; Padraig McGettigan, Niall O’Donnell, Eoin McGeehin.

Subs: Kieran Tobin for Parke (h-t), Conor O’Donnell junior for P.McGettigan (41), Conor Morrison for Devine (43), Eoin Dowling for S.McGettigan (53).

Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gaeil Fhánada).