Imposing lads of Naomh Conaill well set for final
DONEGAL champions Naomh Conaill won an unspectacular victory in last night’s Ulster Club SFC semi-final at Healy Park, but did enough to suggest they could keep the title.
With reigning champions Gaobh Dobhair already sent packing in the domestic series, they have taken to the provincial scene with a dogged determination, which was evident from start to finish as they saw off the Monaghan champions.
Six Eoghan McGettigan scores and a towering midfield performance from Leo McLoone helped the Glenties side over the line.
The Farney men relied too heavily on Conor McManus, who managed just one score from play, but accounted for all but three of their points.
‘It was a class feeling, as well as the performance, just the atmosphere,’ said Naomh Conaill manager Martin Regan.
‘It’s a brilliant time for the club, these games are just getting better every day, and we’re looking forward to the final. I thought we were excellent in the first 15 or 20 minutes, we were really brilliant, and we were in complete control.’
But the loss of stalwart fullback AJ Gallagher after 23 minutes threatened to derail the Glenties men. ‘AJ going off on a black card probably did throw us a wee bit, we took a few minutes to get things changed around,’ said Regan.
The Donegal men imposed themselves on the contest right from the start, putting pressure on the Clontibret kick-out and channelling men back inside their own half when not in possession.
The Monaghan side’s packed defence proved ineffective against the clever movement of the Glenties forward division as they picked off scores to open up a five points lead.
Eoghan McGettigan hit the first three, with Brendan
McDyer, corner back Kevin McGettigan and Leo McLoone also on target for a 0-6 to 0-1 advantage, the only Farney score of the opening quarter coming off the boot of Conor McManus. He nailed a couple of dead-ball scores as his side clawed back into contention, one of them after Gallagher was dismissed on a black card. But a fourth McGettigan score sent Naomh Conaill in with a 0-7 to 0-3 interval lead.
Clontibret did produce a flourish early in the second half, cutting the deficit back to two, with scores from McManus and Francis Hughes.
But Leo McLoone and Ciaran Thompson were imperious around the middle for the Donegal men, who weathered the storm to restore their four points advantage, Thompson driving over a long range free. And he was on target again, along with McGettigan, going into the final ten minutes as desperation beckoned for the Monaghan men. Clontibret did shoot late scores through McManus and Darragh Hughes, but this was to be a night for the men of Glenties.
Naomh CoNaill sCorers: E McGettigan 0-6 (4f), C Thompson 0-3 (2f), B McDyer, K McGettigan, L McLoone 0-1 each.
CloNtibret sCorers: C McManus 0-6 (5f), F Hughes, D Mone, D Hughes 0-1 each.
CloNtibret: D McDonnell; C Doyle, C Boyle, L Savage; J Gormley, D Mone, C Greenan; F Hughes, K Lavelle; D Savage, M O’Dowd, B Greenan; P Boyle, V Corey, C McManus.
subs: R McGuigan for D Savage (23), D McDonnell for McGuigan (50), K Greenan for P Boyle (54), D Hughes for F Hughes (59)
Naomh CoNaill: S McGrath; U Doherty, AJ Gallagher, K McGettigan; E O’Donnell, A Thompson, E Waide; C Thompson, L McLoone; B McDyer, E McGettigan, E Doherty; J McKelvey, C McGuinness, M Boyle.
subs: K Gallagher for AJ Gallagher (BC 23), S Molloy for McGuinnes (54), D Molloy for McDyer (55) D Gallagher for E Doherty (61),
referee: N Mooney (Cavan).