St Eunan's...........1-15
St. Michael's.........0-12
By Aidan O'Donnell
ST. Eunan's secured a place in the Division One league final after coming from three points down against St. Michaels at half time to run out eventual winners by six in Convoy on Saturday afternoon.
A personal tally of eight points from Conall Dunne, six of which came in the second period, were the key for Eamon O'Boyle's side as their fitness proved superior to that of a very admirable St. Michael's side that haven't played competitively for five weeks.
The Creeslough/Dunfanaghy men were quicker and hungrier out of the blocks as they raced into a five point unanswered lead inside the first seventeen minutes of the game. Colm McFadden got the ball rolling with a fine point in front of the posts with six minutes gone.
The game took somewhat of a leisurely pace to it and was more casual than the relegation play-off tie that preceded it. St. Michel's, though, were showing a great eagerness and appetite in every tackle that Eunan's failed to match for the first quarter of the period.
Daniel McLaughlin punished the St. Eunan's defence after he stole possession and scored with eleven minutes lapsed. Two minutes later, wing half back, Peter Witherow raced forward to add to his sides lead with an unchallenged point. Kevin Rafferty then had a goal bound shot saved well by Mark Anthony McGinley as the Cathedral town men steadily began to click into gear.
Two points in quick succession, one a free and one from play, both from Michael McGinley handed St. Michael's a deserved five point lead with thirteen minutes of the opening half remaining.
St. Eunan's then got their first score of the afternoon with the first of Conall Dunne's scores, via a free. Andrew Kelly kept his sides scoring momentum ticking over with a point in the twentieth minute. Points from Brian McDermott and Mark McGowan reduced the deficit to three for St. Eunan's with two well drilled scores six minutes from the intermission.
Straight up the other end, Colm McFadden added to his opener with another fantastically well executed point for St. Michael's. St. Eunan's then went close to sneaking a goal when Ciaran Greane released a pass into the path of Ross Wherity who stretching, improvised magnificently to punch the ball toward goal only for it to trickle past the left upright.
Conall Dunne put a goal between the sides with another free before a beast of a score for St. Michael's followed soon after.
Colm McFadden picked up possession deep within his own half and with little on, picked out Brian McLaughlin with torpedo-like accuracy, and despite coming under pressure from Eunan's defenders, the midfielder fired spectacularly over the bar from wide on the left and beyond the forty-five metre line.
Ross Wherity pulled the gap back to three points heading in at the break with a point from close range.
Four unanswered points at the start of the second half catapulted St. Eunan's from three points down to one ahead as both the wind and momentum began to sway in their favour.
Conall Dunne carried on his scoring from the first half by beginning the comeback with a close range score inside the first twenty seconds following a breaking ball by Ross Wherity.
Paddy McGowan grabbed another quickly after before a wonderful sweeping team score from the Letterkenny men. After a pass into Wherity, the forward laid off for Ciaran Sharkey who in one movement continued the pass onto Dunne who in given the form he was in, completed the formality knock-over. It was St. Eunan's fourth straight point from play. And it was added to by another placed score; again from the County star Dunne and with it hand his side the lead for the first time in the contest.
Kevin Rafferty then wasted a good chance to grab at the very least a point, but in the same passage of play, St. Michael's raced clear to level the sides once more thanks to a marvellous Daniel McLaughlin point. Michael McGinley put them out in front once more with a point in the forty second minute.
Eunan's, though, excelled once more, scoring five more points without reply, three from Dunne and one apiece for substitute Cillian Morrison and Ciaran Sharkey which helped bridge four points between the sides with little under seven minutes remaining.
Colm McFadden (free) and Daniel McLaughlin carried the game back to within range for St. Michael's who were now in search of goals. The game, though, was put to bed when Mark McGowan rattled over a '45' before both McGowan's combined to score St. Eunan's goal.
In a quick counter attack, Paddy McGowan cut inside forcing Mark Anthony McGinley into a blockbuster save only for Mark McGowan to bury the follow-up into the top corner with the last kick of the game.
The County champions now play Ardara in the league final as they go in search of yet another league and championship double.
St. Eunan'S: Damian Martin; Mick Martin, Peter Devine, James Bradley; Mark McGowan (1-02, 1 '45'), Adrian McClafferty, Ciaran Greane; John Haran, Kevin Rafferty; Ciaran Sharkey (0-01), Conall Dunne (0-08, 5f), Brian McDermott (0-01); Paddy McGowan (0-01), Ross Wherity (0-01), Conor Gibbons. Subs: Cillian Morrison (Gibbons, 40 mins, 0-01).
St. Michael'S: Mark Anthony McGinley; Stephen Black, Brendan Rodden, Denis Trearty; Michael Gallagher, Ryan Langan, Peter Witherow (0-01), Antoin McFadden, Brian McLaughlin (0-01), Daniel McLaughlin (0-03), Colm McFadden (0-03, 1f), Andrew Kelly (0-01,1f), Patrick Stewart, Michael McGinley (0-03, 1f), Martin Breslin. Subs: Raymond McLaughlin (Trearty, 52 mins).
Referee: Robbie O'Donnell Naomh Mhuire
