Naomh Colmcille CLG – Donegal

18/10/2010
Match report and photos courtesy of Inish Times

Newtown and Muff must meet again to decide the Junior County Champions for 2010 after their thrilling decider at O’Donnell Park ended honours even on Sunday afternoon.

The throngs of fans who made the trip from in Inishowen were treated to an absorbing final where both teams were the bounce of a ball away from becoming Donegal champions.

Muff got off to a dream start to lead by four points with the aid of the significant wind midway through the first half. But their dream looked to be turning into a nightmare by late in the half when Aidan Lynch was sent off for a high tackle and Newtown leveled the scores.

Newtown attempted to turn the screw in the second half as they edged two points ahead but buoyed by the introduction of fresh legs from the bench Muff bridged the two point gap in the dying moments of normal time with substitute Damian Diver hitting a brilliant score to level the game.
With five minutes of added time, the tension became almost unbearable as a point for either side could have sealed the title but in the end both sides could have few complaints with the replay.

With their previous meetings this season ending in a draw and a one point win for the Iskaheen side, another tight game was expected but Muff hadn’t read the script as they raced into an early lead with skipper Eunan Keaveney leading by example to score from in front of the posts in the opening seconds.
After both sides registered a wide each, Mark Duffy stretched their lead to three points with two well taken scores from play before Colm McColgan showed off his sweet left peg with and inswinging free from wide right.

While Muff were clinical in attack at one end they were dogged at the other with Raymond McLaughlin producing a brilliant block to deny Ciaran Devine as Newtown began to rally.

Barry O’Hagan deservedly opened their account on 14 minutes with a free from deep on the right before Christy Lynch produced a neat save to deny a punch goalward by Ryan McKinley from an O’Hagan free in.

Newtown had found their rhythm now and points from Ryan McErlean and a booming Ciaran Callaghan score reduced the deficit to the minimum on 18 minutes before Muff responded swiftly with a break away score from Oisin McColgan.

Colmcille began to get a foothold in midfield and Ciaran Callaghan deservedly pulled a point back for them before Lynch received his marching orders on 29 minutes for a high tackle to Thomas McKinley in full view of the linesman on the grandstand side of the ground.

From the resultant free when play resumed, Newtown worked the ball to Joe Donaghey to score and moments later they followed up with a Ryan McKinley point to lead for the first time although Mark Duffy hit a late score for Muff to level the game at six points a piece at the interval.

O’Hagan gave Newtown an early lead in the second half with a close range free from the hands but moments later Muff had the best goal chance of the game when Declan McLaughlin released the advancing Colm McColgan whose shot from a one on one was superbly blocked by Marty Callaghan in the Newtown goal.

Muff were punished for that miss as Newtown stretched their lead to two through Thomas McKinlet and Aidan McAleer began to empty his bench to add fresh impetus in attack with Dermott McColgan in particular giving them added penetration from the half forward line.

With ten minutes remaining Muff bridged the gap to a point when a Colm McColgan ’45 broke for Eunan Keaveney to score from close range but Richard Clarke restored their two point cushion when he won a Muff free out for a square ball and motored forward to point.

With just three minutes remaining Dermott McColgan got the score his half forward play deserved before his fellow substitute Diver rounded off a brilliant flowing move forward to level the scores on the stroke of full time.

In the five minutes of added time it was Newtown who had the best chances to win as O’Hagan sent a free wide from the right and Mark Callaghan shot wide of the posts from a good position late on.

At the final whistle both sets of players applauded the fans in the grandstand who had played their part in an intriguing battle which is expected to be just as tight when they meet at the same time and place this Sunday.

NAOMH PADRAIG: Christy Lynch, Laurence Lynch, Enda McColgan, John McLaughlin, Cathal McColgan, Raymond McLaughlin, Anthony McColgan, Colm McColgan (0-1, 1f), Martin Duffy, Dermot Keaveney, Eunan Keaveney (0-2), Oisin Mc Colgan (0-1), Declan McColgan, Aidan Lynch (0-1), Mark Duffy (0-2). Subs: Ryan McColgan for J McLaughlin, Dermot McColgan (0-1) for Declan McLaughlin, Barry Hegarty for Martin Duffy, Damian Diver for D Keaveney, Charlie Molloy for Oisin McColgan.

NAOMH COLMCILLE: Marty Callaghan, Paul Friel, Anthony Grant, Paul McGill, Gerard Curran, Cathal Curran, Thomas McKinley (0-1), Richard Clarke (0-1), Ciaran Devine, Ryan McKinley (0-1), Barry O’Hagan (0-2, 2f). Stephen Davenport, Ryan McErlean (0-2), Joe Donaghey, Ciaran Callaghan (0-2). Subs: Mark Callaghan for C Curran, Paddy O’Donnell for R McKinley

REFEREE: Ian Molloy