Double delight for Donegal at Comórtas

DONEGAL secured a double at the Comórtas Peile na Gealtachta in Falcarragh yesterday as hosts Cloughaneely lifted their third All-Ireland senior title with a hard-fought victory over Moycullen of Galway while Naomh Mhuire took the junior title.

Cloughaneely opened at a blistering pace and knocked over two points inside seven minutes from Sean Maguire and Ciaran Scanlon, after good work by Denis Boyle.

Playing with the breeze, it was all Cloughaneely but they were rocked on 13 minutes when Raymond Hogan raced onto a broken ball after Michael Lynch slipped to give Lee McFadden no chance and at the break they had a one point lead, 0-5 to 1-1.

Ray Hogan hit a Moycullen point after four minutes of the restart but points from Boyle, Shaun McGarvey and Maguire saw Cloughaneely go three clear. Philip Lydon got the Galway side’s second from a free before Boyle hit a magnificent placed ball from the sideline. Lydon and Boyle then traded scores before Maguire added the insurance point for an 0-11 to 1-6 home win.

Beforehand, in the junior final, Naomh Mhuire from Annagry came from behind to get the better of Antrim’s Laochra Loch Laoi after a spirited second half performance saw them win 0-14 to 0-13.

Substitute Sean Boyle kicked the winner two minutes into added time.

With the teams level at the break, Laochra Loch Laoi came out with all guns blazing for the second half and hit five points without reply from Paddy Cunningham, Sean MacCathail, Brendan Ó Brolchain and Cathal Ó Ceallaigh to go 0-12 to 0-7 up.

But with 10 minutes remaining, Ciarán McGinley pointed and this was followed by points from Harry Harden and Tom McHugh in quick succession.

Sean Boyle made it a one-point game three minutes from the end. Owen Grant levelled on the stroke of full-time with a magnificent effort from an awkward angle before Boyle wrapped it up, picking up a Dara White free that broke and he snapped it over.