Donnelly goal brace helps Fintona Minors take title

Fintona 3-9 Both Domhnaigh 1-9

A BLISTERING second half from Fintona was key to their Grade Two Minor Championship title success at a foggy Newtownstewart on Saturday morning.

The first half had been a low scoring affair, the first point not coming until sixteen minutes in. The Glenelly/ Gortin combination were ahead by one at the break but Caolan Donnelly rattled in two cracking goals in the space of a minute after the break and that swung the tie the way of the Pearses.

Fintona never looked back after that and drove on to clinch yet another trophy in what has been a remarkable year for the club.

There were several excellent individual performances from Fintona. Donnelly finished with 2-2, fifteen year old Peter Colton amassed 1-5 putting in a man of the match display, while Eugene Colton, Owen Griffith and Conan Hegarty also impressed for the victors.

For Both Domhnaigh Liam Og Mossey put in an admirable shift, while Lorcan McCullagh, Cian McConnell and Karl McCormack also worked hard to try and get their team across the winning line.

It wasn’t to be though with seven points between the sides at the end. The Pearses did enough in the second half against a battling Both Domhnaigh who at times played some excellent football, with both defences outstanding at times.

It was a low scoring first half punctuated with a series of wides and efforts dropped short.

Fintona had the best of the chances before young Peter Colton fired over from the left after steering a course through the defence on sixteen minutes. Mossey replied before Colton nudged his side ahead again from a free on twenty one minutes.

Both Domhnaigh came more into the contest in the final ten minutes of the half. They were able to unlock the Fintona defence and points from Lucas McGarvey and Mossey, sandwiched between a black card for Padraig Og McDermott, had them on the front foot.

An exchange of points between Colton and Mossey kept Both Domhnaigh ahead although the contest swung again. A well struck Diarmuid Martin point levelled matters for a fourth time shy of the break.

Both Domhnaigh finished the half with a point when a goal was on. McCullagh latched onto a great pass from Mark Kennedy and drilled an effort over the bar to give his side a single point lead at the half-time whistle.

Fintona quickly levelled on the restart, Conan Hegarty dropped a score over from the left and they pressed into attack to good effect. McCullagh saw a close range effort well collected by goalkeeper Oisin Watson. His clearance out right found it’s way up the park to Hegarty who sent Donnelly in on goal and he made no mistake.

Within a minute Donnelly added a second goal. Eugene Colton and Tom Gavin combined to tee up the in rushing midfielder. Fintona pressed on and carved open the opposition defence again and by the end of the third quarter the Pearses were nine points clear.

Hegarty won a ball on his own ’45’ metre line and worked it up the park with Loane, Colton and Donnelly all involved. Martin’s shot sailed goalward with Peter Colton closing in at the back post to bag his side’s third goal.

Donnelly’s angled score on the run opened the gap to ten points yet there was still fight in Both Domhnaigh. Goalkeeper Conor McAneney went to full forward and immediately was on hand to turn a high ball from McGarvey to the Fintona net.

A point from Hegarty had it an eight point game again but Both Domhnaigh took the initiative again twice going close for goals. McAneney tested Watson and Kennedy had a shot blocked down. Points from Mossey, Thomas Coyle and two from McCullagh reduced the arrears back to five points but it was too little too late.

Donnelly and young Colton put the icing on the cake in injury time with further points as the Pearses ran out winners by seven.

Fintona Scorers: Caolan Donnelly (2-2), Peter Colton (1-4), Conan Hegarty (0-2), Diamuid Martin (0-1)

Both Domhnaigh Scorers: Liam Og Mossey (0-4), Lorcan McCullagh (0-3), Conor McAneney (1-0), Lucas Mc Garvey, Thomas Coyle (0-1 each)