Donegal win McKenna Cup in extra time tussle

Donegal 2-12 Queen’s 0-11 (aet)

John Joe Doherty won his first trophy as Donegal manager with an extra-time triumph in the Gaelic Life Dr McKenna Cup final at Healy Park this evening.

The last time the county won the trophy, back in 1991, Doherty was a member of the team. This time he watched on as his promising young side came good in the closing stages, killing the game off with goals from David Walsh and Ryan Bradley.

James Kielt was the man to apply the stylish finishing touches to some sweeping Queen’s moves in the first half, demonstrating the quality which has seen him earn a call-up to Damien Cassidy’s Derry squad.

Kielt hit three points, and with the Donegal defence under constant pressure, there were numerous opportunities, some of them wasted, others impressively converted by James Loughrey, Conor Maginn and the busy Sean Leo McGoldrick.

An early blitz saw the students open up a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after just five minutes, and an early score by wing back Eamon McGee proved to be Donegal’s only first-half score from play.

Charlie Vernon’s dominance of the midfield area kept the students on top, and his central partner Paul Courtney thumped over a superb point.

Kevin McMenamin and Stephen Griffin did keep Donegal in touch from frees, but they struggled to inject any fluency into their attacking effort, thanks in some measure to the efforts of QUB defenders Ryan Dillon and Justin Crozier.

It was QUB who led by 0-8 to 0-5 at the break, the there points margin scarcely reflecting their dominance.

Ciaran Bonner was switched to midfield, and hit the equalising point, after Griffin and Brendan Boyle had narrowed the gap early in the second half.

Ciaran Bonner brought Donegal level seven minutes into the second half, but two excellent Shaun O’Neill points had Queen’s back in front with 10 minutes to play, but became the second student to be shown a yellow card, following centre back Brendan McArdle to the bench.

Neil Gallagher’s late point sent the decider to extra-time, deadlocked at 0-10 each, and David Walsh’s 78th minute goal saw Donegal turn around with a 1-11 to 0-11 advantage.

Ryan Bradley’s late goal sealed the silverware for John Joe Doherty’s men.

Donegal: P Durcan, F McGlynn,, R Sweeney, P McDaid, C Byrne, B Monaghan, E McGee (0-1), N Gallagher, B Boyle (0-1), C Bonner (0-2), C Dunne, R Kavanagh, K McMenamin (0-3, 2F), S Griffin (0-3, 3F), D Walsh (1-1)

Subs: M Doherty for Boyle (58), L Thompson for Dunne (65), E Waide for Kavanagh, 68, yellow card), R Bradley (1-0) for Sweeney (70, yellow card), Boyle for Byrne (84)

Queen’s: F Murphy, A McCrory, L Howard, R Dillon, D O hAgain, B McArdle, J Crozier, C Vernon, P Courtney (0-1), J Loughrey (0-1), C Maginn (0-1), S McGoldrick (0-1), J Kielt (0-4, 2f), S O’Neill (0-3), C Bayne.

Subs: L Morrow for McArdle (yellow card, 36), P McVeigh for O’Neill (yellow card, 64), B Martin for Morrow (65), C Leonard for Bayne (84)

Referee: P Hughes (Armagh) (replaced by J McKee, Armagh, injured 70 minutes).