Late Donaghy goal seals U20 title for Na Doiri Oga

NA DOIRI OGA 1-16 NAOMH EOGHAN 1-14

The first underage title of the season was decided at Kildress on Wednesday evening when Na Doiri Oga emerged winners of the Grade Three Under-20 Final in the most dramatic of circumstances.

With the last attack of the game and trailing by a point Na Doiri Oga substitute Keenan Donaghy fired the ball in from the right wing and despite the best efforts of Naomh Eoghan keeper Ciagan Patton it ended up in the back of the net to settle the contest.

The winners had led by three points at the break and when they landed four of the opening five scores of the second half they looked to be well on their way.

They failed to score though for the next twenty six minutes as Naomh Eoghan hit 1-6 without reply to turn the game on its head. Na Doiri Oga looked like losing out in a contest that they had led for long spells but they refused to throw in the towel and two points cut the deficit to the minimum before substitute Donaghy proved to be their hero with a goal with the last kick of the game.

With the wind at their backs Na Doiri Oga made a lightning start to the game with man of the match Shane Scullion, Conor Campbell, Gavin Cushnahan and Eoghan O’Donnell all notching quality scores in the first six minutes.

Conor Lagan, who was superb throughout for Naomh Eoghan, opened their account from a well struck eight^th minute free only for Matthew Devlin and Scullion to respond at the other end of the field.

By the 20^th minute Naomh Eoghan had trimmed the deficit to two points thanks to a brace from Josh Gallagher and one from Lagan. Na Doiri Oga corner back Caoimhin Hughes then weighed in with a brilliant brace and that enabled his side to lead 0-10 to 0-7 at half-time.

In the first attack of the second half Scullion burst through from midfield to split the posts before O’Donnell scored twice in the space of sixty seconds. Lagan got a much needed free for a Naomh Eoghan response before the superb Scullion got his fourth of the night to leave it 0-14 to 0-8 by the 36^th minute. Na Doiri Oga looked in complete control but all that was about to change.

Darragh Devine converted a long range free before the same player got a goal in the 46^th minute when his speculative shot was caught by Na Doiri Oga keeper Naoise Campbell but the ball was behind the line.

That swung the momentum clearly in favour of Naomh Eoghan as they wrestled control of proceedings. Lagan knocked over a free before half back Gary Eoin Mayse struck a brilliant equaliser with eleven minutes left to play.

An outstanding Lagan point put his side in front for the first time in the contest but Na Doiri Oga had an opportunity to respond almost straight away when they were awarded a 53^rd minute penalty. Scullion took the kick but it was saved by keeper Ciagan Patton. Lagan scored from play and Devine converted a free as Naomh Eoghan moved 1-14 to 0-14 in front a minute into injury time.

Na Doiri Oga didn’t panic with centre half forward O’Donnell bursting through for his fifth of the night and that was followed by a free from Devlin. With the contest in its fourth minute of injury time the winning score arrived when Hughes and Cushnahan combined down the right wing to play the ball to Donaghy who looked as though he was going for an equaliser but the ball dipped and finished in the net to seal a dramatic victory.

Match Stats

The Scorers

Na Doiri Oga

Eoghan O’Donnell 0-5, Shane Scullion 0-4, Matthew Devlin 0-3 (3F), Keenan Donaghy 1-0, Caoimhin Hughes 0-2, Gavin Cushnahan 0-1, Conor Campbell 0-1

Naomh Eoghan

Conor Lagan 0-9 (5F), Darragh Devine 1-2 (2F), Josh Gallagher 0-2, Gary Eoin Mayse 0-1