MOVILLE COMMUNITY COLLEGE made light work of their passage to the Donegal Schools Senior B final this afternoon against Gairmscoil Chú Uladh.
Moville Community College 4-16 Gairmscoil Chú Uladh 3-5
The side managed by Barry Molloy were very proficient up front as well as being reasonably firm at the back at Pairc na Gael, the home of Letterkenny Gaels. A total of 4-16 – all from play – was an excellent one.
The concession of three goals will be something they’ll look at ahead of the final against Coláiste Ailigh, but all in all it was a good day’s work.
An interval lead was 1-9 to 0-1 meant that Enda Mannion’s Gairmscoil Chú Uladh had left themselves too much to do in the second half. And although a couple of goals early in the second half brought the Ballinamore outfit back to within six points, Moville merely pressed down on the accelerator to see out a 14-point win.
Photo caption: The Moville Community College team before their Donegal Schools Senior B semi-final this afternoon at Pairc na nGael in Letterkenny
There were a couple of early warning shots with Jordan O’Donnell in the Gairmscoil Chú Uladh goal forced to make two saves in the opening four minutes – first of all when he saved from Gareth Foynes and then from Cathal McLaughlin.
But Moville just kept chipping away. Their forwards, from numbers 11 to 15, all got on the scoresheet in the first half as they began to flex their muscle. Kyle Dougal gelled it all together from centre-back.
It was 0-3 to 0-1 on the 17th minute; right before Pauric Gillen rattled off a personal 1-2 in just two minutes to make it 1-5 to 0-1. Gillen’s goal came as he turned on a rebound after Patrick Faulkner struck the crossbar on 18 minutes.
Moments later, at the other end, Gairmscoil Chú Uladh weren’t as fortunate as Aaron McGlynn’s blistering effort cannoned off Ciaran Bonner’s crossbar but Paddy Doherty couldn’t get his foot around the ball from the follow-up.
Eleven points up at the break, Moville were expecting something of a backlash in the second half and Gairmscoil Chú Uladh deserve credit for making some inroads.
However, they took two steps back before managing to make one forward as the Inishowen side added a second goal with their first meaningful attack of the half on 24 minutes.
It was a perfect example of how to use direct football effectively with Aidan McLaughlin’s ball into the roving Rhys Davenport, who laid off for Pauric Skelly the smash home and set-up a 2-9 to 0-1 advantage.
Evan Craig popped over a couple of eye-catching scores towards the end of the half.
The Gairmscoil Chú Uladh team that lined out against Moville Community College in the Donegal Schools Senior B semi-final this afternoon at Pairc na nGael in Letterkenny
On 38 minutes, McGlynn, the Gairmscoil Chú Uladh centre-fielder, scored a fine goal of his own with a sweeping finish and when Kyle O’Meara netted as well – in his case from close range but at an angle – the margin was down to six points, 2-10 to 2-4.
Whatever flirtatious notions Gairmscoil Chú Uladh might’ve had withered soon enough though as Moville added a third goal on 54 minutes through Gillen again after O’Donnell in goal just couldn’t hold a dipping effort from McLaughlin.
Foynes really came to life at this stage in the content and would end up with five from play.
Paddy McGrath goaled then a minute later for Gairmscoil Chú Uladh at the other end following some smart play from a quickly-taken free but it was to prove mere consolation as substitute Paddy McGroddy finished off the job with a fourth Moville goal in injury time.
Moville Community College: Ciaran Bonner; Jason McCallion, Rhys Davenport, Shane McColgan; Declan Diver, Kyle Dougan, Cathal McLaughlin; James Breslin, Aidan McLaughlin; Eunan Mullan, Pauric Gillen (2-3), Gareth Foynes (0-5); Evan Craig (0-3), Pauric Skelly (1-2) Patrick Faulkner (0-3). Subs: Patrick McGroddy (1-0) for Mullan (47), Casey Browne for Breslin (52), Conor McDaid and Stephen Slattery for Craig and Faulkner (55), Michael Cregan and Shane McCallion for C McLaughlin and Diver (56).
Gairmscoil Chú Uladh: Jordan O’Donnell; Darren Marley, Shane O’Donnell, Keelan McGill; Denis Quinn, Karl McGlynn (0-2), Odhrán McDevitt; Paddy McGrath (1-0, 1-0 f), Aaron McGlynn (1-0); Evan Gibbons, Kyle O’Meara (1-0), Keelan McMonagle (0-1); Paddy Doherty, Matthew McGinley (0-2, 2f), Francie McDevitt. Subs: Darragh McGrenaghan for Gibbons (33), Ronan O’Donnell for Marley (40).
Referee: Eddie Crawford (Glenswilly).
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