St Eunan's win record 16th Donegal title for late friend Aidan McGlynn

The three-point victory sends St Eunan's to the top of the Donegal roll of honour ahead of Gaoth Dobhair.

BIG SCORE: Conor O'Donnell of St Eunan's celebrates after scoring his side's goal during the Donegal SFC final against Dungloe. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Donegal SFC final: St Eunan’s 1-13 Dungloe 1-10 

Three injury time points meant St Eunan’s won a record-breaking Donegal SFC title to leave Dungloe heartbroken.

The Letterkenny side were three up in the last minute when referee Ryan Walsh awarded a controversial penalty for Dungloe, against Oran Winston for an apparent tug on Shaun McGee, just as Ryan Connors was about to hit a free in.

It was Connors who stepped up to beat Shaun Patton from the spot, levelling it up at 1-10 to 1-10 some 30 seconds into injury time. However, whatever dissatisfaction St Eunan’s might’ve had, they didn’t let it show, keeping their composure to knock over points from Conor O’Donnell Snr, Ciaran Moore and Eoin McGeehin.

It ended with a 16th senior crown for St Eunan’s, overtaking Gaoth Dobhair at the top of Donegal’s roll of honour, with tears in their eyes when Kieran Tobin, their captain, mentioned they did it for the late Aidan McGlynn, their "statsman and friend” who passed away last month and whose name was emblazoned upon their jerseys since.

For long spells, there was little in it. In fact, it was Dungloe who had been the only one in front until Conor O’Donnell Jnr hit the opening goal. It was the first time in the match the Letterkenny side were in front and in a game of such small margins, was a huge score, putting St Eunan’s 1-5 to 0-5 ahead in the opening exchanges of the second half.

A cagey first period saw Dungloe lead four times, with St Eunan’s levelling on each occasion.

Aaron Neely opened the scoring following an excellent turnover from Aaron Ward at the other end of the field on seven minutes, with O’Donnell Jnr getting St Eunan’s going. That trend continued, with Dylan Sweeney, Conor Greene’s mark and a twice-brought-forward Ryan Connors free giving Dungloe a succession of one-point leads.

Those were systematically erased every time by Barry Meehan’s team, who saw Pauric Boyle, Ciaran Moore and O’Donnell Jnr restore parity.

Dungloe, playing in the first final since 1964 - although there was a Rosses Rovers amalgamation in the showpiece six years later - certainly hadn’t a semblance of stage fright.

Danny Rodgers, the Dungloe goalkeeper, kicked a free - brought forward by Walsh - to edge Dungloe in front for the fifth time, with Niall O’Donnell free at the Town End St Eunan’s fifth equaliser.

Then came the goal. Niall O’Donnell’s effort at a point came down off the upright and Pauic Boyle was the first to react, quickly laying off for Conor O’Donnell Jnr to hit home on 36 to make, what was in the circumstances, a huge score.

The feeling was that now you’d really see what Dungloe were made of and a Connors free and a 45 by Rodgers showed they weren’t for wilting and were just one point behind with 15 to play.

But with the game becoming more stretched, Moore in particular and Niall O’Donnell were getting on the ball more and more. Both scored and St Eunan’s were managing to keep Dungloe at an arm’s length of three or so points.

That theory continued when Sweeney put over a great score from a tight angle, only for Aaron Deeney - having a fine game at the back having started on Daire Gallagher - to score for St Eunan’s. Greene and O’Donnell Jnr - who would end the day with 1-4 - swapped points and so did Barry Curran and Kieran Tobin, the St Eunan’s captain. A Connors’ free made it 1-10 to 0-10 and it was in the melting pot once the same player brought Dungloe on terms from the spot.

Scorers for St Eunan’s: C O’Donnell Jnr 1-4 2f; C Moore 0-3; N O’Donnell 0-2, 1f; A Deeney, K Tobin, E McGeehin, and P Boyle 0-1 each. 

Scorers for Dungloe: R Connors 1-2, 1pen, 2f; C Greene 1f, D Rodgers 1f, 1 ‘45’, and D Sweeney 0-2 each; B Curran and A Neely 0-1 each.

ST EUNAN'S: S Patton; A Deeney, C Morrison, C Ward; D Mulgrew, C O’Donnell Snr, K Tobin; E Dowling, J Kelly; C Moore, S O’Donnell, K Kealy; C O’Donnell Jnr, N O’Donnell, P Boyle. 

Subs: E McGeehin for Dowling (34), L McMonagle for Boyle (46), O Winston for Mulgrew (53).

DUNGLOE: D Rodgers; J McBride, A Ward, M Curran; B Curran, C O’Donnell, K Magee; D Curran, R Connors; D Sweeney, D Gallagher, M Ward; A Neely, C Greene, O Bonner. 

Subs: S McGee for Bonner (42), C Diver for Greene (60+2), N McBride for M Ward (60+5).

Referee: R Walsh (Realt na Mara)