Gaelic Games

Naomh Conaill win Donegal SFC title after narrow victory over St Eunan’s

Fascinating and sometimes controversial final in Balybofey saw the underdogs come out on top

Naomh Conaill's Eunan Doherty celebrates at the final whistle with Eoin Waide. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Naomh Conaill's Eunan Doherty celebrates at the final whistle with Eoin Waide. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Chris McNulty
Sat Oct 15 2022 - 19:09

Naomh Conaill 1-9 St Eunan’s 2-5

Naomh Conaill lifted a crumpled beaten docket from the bookmakers’ floor on Saturday and slammed it on the counter.

After a 10-point defeat to St Eunan’s in the 2021 final, few gave Naomh Conaill much hope of dethroning the Letterkenny men.

Naomh Conaill, despite shorn of the scores of Eoghan McGettigan at one end and the watertight shackles of Ultan Doherty at the other, are back on top after edging a fascinating and sometimes controversial final in Ballybofey.

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“We suffered a lot over the winter last year,” manager Martin Regan said.

“We worked hard over the last 12 weeks coming into the Championship and we got our just rewards.”

The claps on his back came as regularly as the sheets of rain, but Regan minded not.

Ciaran Thompson hoisted the game’s final score from a 58th minute free. For several minutes towards the conclusion, St Eunan’s — who had Shane O’Donnell sent off late in the first period — held possession. Finally, Sean Veigh saw his shot go wide.

“Besides the two goals, I felt that we defended really, really well,” Regan said.

“We showed good discipline. They performed it to a tee. We knew where St Eunan’s had got scores from in the last couple of years and we felt if we shut dow those avenues, they would struggle.”

Eoin McGeehin netted the 13th minute goal that had St Eunan’s two ahead, 1-3 to 0-4, at half-time.

By then, they were down a man with O’Donnell harshly sent off following an incident just before the short whistle. St Eunan’s fumed with manager Rory Kavanagh saying afterwards: “I watched it back and to be honest and there was absolutely nothing in it.”

Charles McGuinness, after taking an excellent pass by Odhran Doherty, fired to the bottom corner past Shaun Patton and Naomh Conaill, helped by a trio of fine scores from the timeless Brendan McDyer, were in the ascendancy.

It was level when St Eunan’s midfielder Kevin Kealy prodded to the net in the 50th minute, but man of the match Thompson slammed over immediately as if to throw down a marker.

Naomh Conaill: S McGrath; K McGettigan, AJ Gallagher, J Campbell; E O’Donnell, A Thompson, E Waide; C Thompson (0-4, 3f), J Mac Ceallabhuí (0-1); B McDyer (0-3), O Doherty, E Doherty; J O’Malley, C McGuinness (1-1), K McGill. Subs: L McLoone for O’Malley (57), D Molloy for McDyer (60), M Boyle for O. Doherty (60).

St Eunan’s: S Patton; C Parke, C Ward, A Deeney (0-1); P Devine, C O’Donnell snr, D Mulgrew; S McGettigan, K Kealy (1-0); C Moore, S O’Donnell, S McVeigh (0-1); P McGettigan, N O’Donnell (0-2, 1f), E McGeehin (1-0). Subs: K Tobin for Parke (h-t), C O’Donnell jnr for P. McGettigan (41), C Morrison (0-1) for Devine (43), E Dowling for S. McGettigan (53).

Referee: M Dorrian (Fanad).