NIALL O’DONNELL kicked three points on his All-County League debut for St Eunan’s against Four Masters this afternoon.
Four Masters 1-7 St Eunan’s 0-13
The two teams will meet this coming Sunday in the Donegal SFC again in Donegal town so neither will be looking too deeply into this afternoon’s result in the All-County Football League Division 1.
However, it was Barry Meehan and Eddie Brennan’s fourth win on the bounce since taking charge, their first on the road. O’Donnell (pictured above by Geraldine Diver), whose only three senior appearance thus far for St Eunan’s have come in the championship, will certainly be an asset in the coming weeks and months.
The wind today certainly made it a game of two halves, with only a penalty from Four Masters’ Kevin McBrearty in the fourth minute and four points in total being scored against the breeze.
St Eunan’s had the wind at their back in the first half, which they concluded with an advantage of 0-11 to 1-2.
Their first half point scorers were Cillian Morrison with three, two from O’Donnell, Lee McMonagle and Barry McGeehin, while Patrick McGowan and Kieran Sharkey were also on the mark.
McBrearty of Four Masters, who was fouled by Sean Hensey, drove that early penalty past another new face in the St Eunan’s senior side, Matthew Gallagher. Sean O’Kennedy and Leo McHugh were the point scorers for the home side in that first half.
In the second, Masters made a real fist of it and St Eunan’s didn’t score till the 56th minute.
For the hosts, there was a comeback of sorts with Karl Lacey, Conor McDaid and McBrearty brought them back into the contest.
However, a black card to McHugh certainly impacted the hosts’ chances and St Eunan’s sealed the win thanks to late scores from O’Donnell and Conor Parke.
Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Caolan Loughney, Kevin Breslin, Daire Quinn; Barry Dunnion, Josh Lacey, Sean O’Kennedy (0-1); Leo McHugh (0-1), Kevin McBrearty (1-2, 1-0 pen, 2f); Emmet Doogan, Karl Lacey (0-1), Shaun Meehan; Patrick Reid, Conor McDaid (0-1), Darren Doherty (0-1). Subs: Conor Breslin, Ryan Hegarty, Dillon Farrell.
St Eunan’s: Matthew Gallagher; Conor Moore, Sean Hensey, Conor Parke (0-1); Oisin Toal, Conor Morrison, Barry McGeehin (0-2); John Haran, Rory Kavanagh; Patrick McGowan (0-1, 1f), Niall O’Donnell (0-3), Michael Miller; Kieran Sharkey (0-1), Lee McMonagle (0-2), Cillian Morrison (0-3). Subs: Darragh Mulgrew for Cillian Morrison, Conall Dunne for McGowan Eamonn Doherty for Conor Morrison, Caolan Ward for McMonagle, Brian McIntyre for Sharkey, Kevin Kealy for Miller.
