Naomh Colmcille CLG – Donegal

25/10/2010
Match report courtesy of Johnny Craig, Inish Times Sports Editor
Naomh Colmcille are the Donegal Junior Champions for 2010 following the narrowest of victories over Inishowen neighbours Naomh Padraig in the County Final replay at O’Donnell Park on Sunday.

Last week proved, what many already believed, that there isn’t the split of a hair between these two sides and yet again this game hung in the balance up until the final kick of the game.

Muff will rue their wayward shooting that saw them send over ten wides in a first half they dominated for long periods but only yielded a five points to three lead at halftime.

The Iskaheen side had the better of the early exchanges in the second half but could only add one score to their tally as Newtown rallied and late in the half they found an extra gear with points in the last five minutes from Barry O’Hagan and Thomas McKinley sealing their first title since 1994.

Muff thought they had earned the extra time that on balance they probably deserved with a late Oisin McColgan point that was overturned after the referee consulted with one of the umpires who judged it to be wide.

While it was a difficult way for Muff to lose there are few who could deny Newtown the McCloskey cup. They got to this final the hard way by defeating the favourites Downings and Burt and the spirit and athleticism they demonstrated on Sunday and throughout this campaign has been a credit to the club and their loyal supporters.

The emotional scenes when the team and fans celebrated as one on the pitch afterwards will live long in the club’s memory and the dvd of their epic campaign with a play-off win over the favourites followed by two replay derby wins in the last four has all the makings of a Hollywood epic.

It was fitting that the two crucial scores came from McKinley and O’Hagan who epitomise the blend of youth and experience that Stephen Friel praised when he took over at this club two years ago.

Captain Richard Clarke remarked in his acceptance speech that he thought Friel was mad to take over the club who were languishing at the bottom of the Division back then. Friel’s achievement in bringing the club to a county title and now into the Ulster Club Championship, and potentially Intermediate football, is worthy of the highest praise and Sunday’s win was typical of the spirit he has instilled in this group of players.

Muff had started last week’s final at a canter but in the early exchanges it appeared they had left their shooting boots at Ture as they sent over four successive wides and O’Hagan gave Colmcille the lead with a free from the right.

Padraig midfielder Colm McColgan, who was unlucky to see an early free come back off the right upright had a glorious goal scoring chance on 5 minutes when he charged down the middle before his shot from a one on one with the ‘keeper flashed past the right post.

Muff corner forward Mark Duffy was guilty of some wayward shooting early on but he made no mistake with a perfectly flighted point from the left side to open Muff’s account on 19 minutes.

Newtown swiftly responded through substitute Matthew Crossan, who had come in midway through the half, when he latched onto a deep ball in from O’Hagan to point on the turn.

The scores continued thick and fast as Dermot Keaveney restored parity with a trademark gliding run forward before scoring from in front of the posts and Oisin McColgan almost gave them a clear lead when a Mark Duffy shot was saved by Callaghan in the Colmcille goal but McColgan failed to make a good connection with his shot from the rebound and Newtown cleared.

The score stayed level as Newtown skipper Richard Clarke and Muff’s Oisin McColgan exchanged points but in the final five minutes Muff got a clear foothold in midfield where Colm McColgan was dominating and the Keaveney brothers were giving them penetration with their forward runs and they deservedly led at the interval with late scores from Barry Hegarty and Mark Duffy.

Newtown got the second half off to the perfect start with Crossan displaying the ball striking ability that had been so effective when he netted two goals for Finn Harps at the Brandywell on Friday night with a brilliant point from the right.

Muff attempted to respond swiftly as a Keaveney effort came back off the left post and the wayward shooting that haunted them in the first half continued as they recorded another three wides.

Midway through the half Newtown began to play higher up the field to good effect as O’Hagan struck the equalizing point from a free and they could have had a goal but for a brilliant clearance from Enda McColgan. The centreback somehow recovered to punch the ball wide on the line after Muff ‘keeper Christy Lynch was beaten by a Crossan shot.

Aiden Lynch restored Muff’s lead with a point from play on 47 minutes but Newtown went on to dominate the next ten minutes with O’Hagan and McKinley giving them the lead.

Oisin McColgan’s late effort produced a similar roar to that which greeted Damien Diver’s equalizer last week but when the 59th minute point was disallowed Newtown held possession well in the three minutes of added time to spark the biggest party the town has seen for many years.

NAOMH COLMCILLE: Marty Callaghan, Paul Friel, Alex Devenney, Paul McGill, Gerard Curran, Andrew Clarke, Thomas McKinley (0-1), Richard Clarke, Ciaran Devine, Mark Callaghan, Barry O’Hagan (0-3, 3f), Stephen Davenport, Ryan McErlean, Joe Donaghey, Ciaran Callaghan (0-1). Subs: Matthew Crossan (0-2) for Andrew Clarke, Ryan McKinley for C Callaghan, Cathal McColgan for J McLaughlin.

NAOMH PADRAIG: Christy Lynch, Laurence Lynch, Enda McColgan, John McLaughlin, Ryan McColgan, Raymond McLaughlin, Anthony McColgan, Colm McColgan, Martin Duffy, Dermot Keaveney (0-1), Eunan Keaveney, Oisin McColgan (0-1), Declan McLaughlin (0-1, 1f), Barry Hegarty (0-1), Mark Duffy (0-1). Subs: Camian Diver (0-1) for D McLaughlin, Aiden Lynch for B Hegarty, Charlie Molloy for A McColgan, Dermot McColgan for D Keaveney.

REFEREE: Kieran McShea