Donegal SHC Final: St Eunan's finish with a flourish

Donegal SHC Final

St Eunan’s 1-18 Setanta 1-17 (AET)

By Dáire Bonnar at O'Donnell Park

An added time in extra-time goal from Fearghal Delaney secured just a third Donegal SHC title for St Eunan’s against Setanta in O’Donnell Park.

In breezy conditions, Peter Kelly led St Eunan’s to a 0-12 to 0-3 at half-time, and went 11 ahead by the 36th minute, but they wouldn’t score for the rest of normal time.

Oisin Marley kickstarted the comeback, and Sean Ward hit a 62nd minute goal to take the game to extra-time at 1-11 to 0-14.

It looked like Setanta would be securing title number 20 when they went two up in added time of extra-time, but Delaney slotted in after a bit of pinball in the square to dethrone the champions.

It was all St Eunan’s in the opening half as they used the breeze well, with Peter Kelly doing the majority of the scoring from frees. He began the scoring with two from placed balls, either side of a Gerard Gilmore free.

Kevin Kealy and Sean Ward traded scores, before St Eunan’s hit eight scores in a row.

Kelly hit the first three, two from frees, before Ryan Hilferty added one.

Kealy and Brendan Gaffey also pointed, with Kelly adding another free and ‘65, while Josh McGee Cronolly got one back for Setanta.
Russell Forde ended the scoring in the half, 0-12 to 0-3.

While St Eunan’s got the next two scores through John Kealy and Kelly on 36 minutes, they wouldn’t score for the rest of normal time.

Setanta’s comeback started with a Gilmore ‘65 and three Marley frees, while Ryan Coyle and Ward brought the deficit down from 11 to five.
Marley added another two, the second a free, before that goal came in the 62nd minute to take it to extra-time.

Marley added another two scores, one from a free, as they went ahead for the first time. Gilmore also added one as Setanta led by one at the end of the first half, Conor O’Grady and Conall Herron getting the points for St Eunan’s.

O’Grady then hit a ‘65 and a free to go ahead, but Marley levelled the game up again.

Gilmore and Marley put Setanta two up, but in the 82nd minute, Delaney slotted the sliotar in at close range.

Scorers for St Eunan’s: Peter Kelly 0-8 (5fs,1’65), Conor O’Grady 0-3 (1’65), Kevin Kealy 0-2, Ryan Hilferty, Brendan Gaffey, Russell Forde, John Kealy and Conall Herron 0-1 each.

Scorers for Setanta: Oisin Marley 0-8 (5fs), Sean Ward 1-2, Gerard Gilmore 0-4 (1f,1’65), Josh McGee Cronolly and Ryan Coyle 0-1 each.

St Eunan’s: Cathal O’Brien; Seán Halvey, Steven Dohetry, Lorcan Heavey; Brendan Gaffey, Conor O’Grady, Ryan Hilferty; David Horgan, John Kealy; Brian MacIntyre, Kevin Kealy, Peter Kelly; Russell Forde, Seán McVeigh, Matt Ahern.

Subs: Cormac Finn for MacIntyre (40), Conall Herron for Ahern (47), Conor Parke for J Kealy (58), Kealy for Gaffey (60), Fearghal Delaney for R Forde (60), Conor Neely for Heavey (64), Cian Randles for J Kealy (67), B MacIntyre for P Kelly (72)

Setanta: Niall Cleary; Rory Porteous, Steven McBride, Fionn Farren; Dean Harvey, Gerard Gilmore, Declan Coulter; Danny Cullen, Ryan Coyle; Sean Ward, Oisín Marley, Ruairí Campbell; Bernard Lafferty, Josh McGee Cronolly, Justin McBride.

Subs: Mark Callaghan for J McBride (52), Conor Gallagher for Coyle (64), J McBride for McGee Cronolly (65), Ryan Callaghan for Porteous (67).

Referee: Trevor Moloney (Buncrana).