Ben McDonnell helps Errigal through testing Ulster club opener

The former Tyrone midfielder hit three late, crucial points.

Darragh Mulgrew of St Eunan's is tackled by Ben McDonnell of Errigal Ciarán at O'Neill's Healy Park in Omagh, Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Errigal Ciaran 0-12 St Eunan’s 0-10 

Ben McDonnell dragged Errigal Ciaran over the line with three late points as they came strong in the dying moments at O’Neills Healy Park.

A second half of high drama had come to a head as the sides went level for a seventh time, Shane O’Donnell’s virtuoso performance having taken St Eunan’s to the brink of victory.

But former Tyrone midfielder McDonnell provided another twist to a gripping Ulster Club SFC preliminary round tie, driving through to pick off the precious scores that gave the Red Hand champions a victory that had for long stretches looked unlikely, and setting up a quarter-final clash with Cargin of Antrim next weekend.

With the Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairi, held stubbornly by sticky man-markers Aaron Deeney and Conor Morrison, Errigal were always going to have to look elsewhere for the avenues of incision that would make the difference, and in McDonnell they had the very man.

Errigal slipped into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead with a couple of Ruairi Canavan scores and a Peter Harte effort inside the opening ten minutes, the visitors’ only reply coming from a free converted by Conor O’Donnell jnr.

Letterkenny had their match-ups spot on, Deeney keeping tabs on Darragh Canavan, with Morrison sticking tight to younger brother Ruairi.

And the visitors narrowed the gap through Conor O’Donnell snr, as Shane O’Donnell probed for openings and a means to find gaps in a packed home defence.

Despite the pre-match loss of Niall O’Donnell due to injury, St Eunan’s began to press strongly, with his brother Shane leading the charge.

But midway through the half Canavan found a pass to release Joe Oguz, who was hauled down as he cut inside. Referee Noel Mooney awarding a penalty, and Peter Harte’s spot kick superbly saved by Shaun Patton.

Ruairi Canavan converted the resultant ’45, but that was their last score of the half, and it was Shane O’Donnell who began to pull the strings as he picked holes in a packed Errigal rearguard to send over a couple of delightful scores.

And a rare but wonderful score from midfielder James Kelly gave St Eunan’s the lead, the same player coming close to poaching a goal as he got on the end of a Shane O’Donnell delivery, only to be denied by ‘keeper Darragh McAnenly.

The Donegal men led by 0-5 to 0-4 at the interval, and with Niall O’Donnell joining the action for the restart, but it was Errigal, now playing into the wind, who regained the lead with quickfire scores from Odhran Robinson and Harte.

But Letterkenny were gaining an increased edge around the middle, with Ciaran Moore finding space along the flanks to bring his front men into the game.

They went back in front through sub Niall O’Donnell, but once Errigal Ciaran substitute Mark Kavanagh brought the sides level again, the game exploded into a frenzy of end-to-end thrills as both teams emptied the tank.

Peter Óg McCartan nudged the Red Hand title-holders back in front, but the brilliant Shane O’Donnell stepped up gain with two more magnificent scores, and they appeared to have clinched it when Conor O’Donnell jnr drilled a ’45 between the posts.

But McDonnell found openings that just weren’t there in the first 55 minutes, his three scores, two of them deep into stoppage time, carried his side over the line.

Errigal Ciaran scorers: B McDonnell, R Canavan (1f, 1 ’45) 0-3 each, P Harte 0-2, O Robinson, P Og McCartan, T Canavan, M Kavanagh 0-1 each.

St Eunan’s scorers: S O’Donnell 0-4, C O’Donnell jnr 0-3 (2f, 1 ’45), C O’Donnell snr, N O’Donnell, J Kelly 0-1 each.

Errigal Ciaran: D McAnenly; Ciaran Quinn, A McCrory, Cormac Quinn; T Colhoun, N Kelly, P Og McCartan; B McDonnell, J Oguz; C McGinley, P Harte, P McGirr; D Canavan, O Robinson, R Canavan.

Subs: T Canavan for McGirr (38), M Kavanagh for Robinson (44), D Morrow for Ciaran Quinn (58)

St Eunan’s: S Patton; A Deeney, C Morrison , C Ward; D Mulgrew, Conor O’Donnell, K Tobin; E Dowling, J Kelly; C Moore, K Kealy, S O’Donnell; O Winston, E McGettigan, Conor O’Donnell jnr.

Subs: N O’Donnell for Winston (h-t), P Boyle for McGeehan (46), L McMonagle for Kealy (59) Referee: N Mooney (Cavan).