CONDITIONS WERE FAR from conducive for good football in the wind and rain at the Centre of Excellence in Convoy but that didn’t deter Abbey VS Donegal town and Loreto CS Milford.
Abbey Vocational School 4-19 Loreto Community School Milford 5-12
(after extra-time)
A four-point win for the Abbey VS side managed by Pauric O’Donnell (pictured above) means a place in the semi-finals of the Donegal Schools Senior A Football Championship.
In truth, it could’ve gone either way as at different stages over the course of the 80 minutes, the pendulum was one side and then in the blink of an eye it was on the other.
A goal after just 17 seconds from Brendan McCole from Abbey VS set the tone that ran right to the last kick of the hour, when Conor Moore goaled for Loreto Community School to force extra-time, 3-13 to 4-10.
In the first period of that extra-time 20 minutes, Jack Keaney took control, scoring three of his side’s five points to open up a 3-18 to 4-10 lead. Keaney – the standout player – would scored 1-7 in all.
But Milford looked to be scraping back. They scored their fifth goal of the game – this time through Bernard McGettigan – only 26 seconds after the restart and with the winds at their back and Connor Gormley taking their arrears down to one just moments later, it was all up in the air again.
However, Abbey steadied themselves and a goal from Neil Ward three minutes from time finally confirmed their passage to the semi-finals.
It had been one bumpy ride but they’d come out the right side of it.
Abbey scored 19 points over the course of the game and extra-time, a splendid total especially since they didn’t register one to begin with for 24 minutes.
After McCole’s early goal, Keaney also netted and after 23 minutes, Abbey trailed 1-6 to 2-0. Milford lived dangerously at the back and Conor McBride, their goalkeeper, had to save them on more than one occasion.
At the same time, they were fluid enough in attack, with Enda McCormick the hub of most of their positive moves.
The Termon forward’s daring run set up his side’s first goal, when Eoghan Carr shot past Gavin Mulreaney on 16 minutes.
But it was Abbey who finished the half well. They posted a third goal right on the stroke of half-time, when Jamie Crawford slapped in a free from Peadar Mogan. The Milford delegation screamed for square-ball but the goal stood and at half-time it was Abbey 3-4 to Loreto Community School’s 1-7.
The Milford side had to play against the wind in the second half but it suited their running game. The enjoyed most of the possession, but Abbey made better use of theirs.
With 13 minutes to go, the Donegal town outfit were 3-9 to 1-9 in front but a brilliant individual goal by Shane McNamee halved the Loreto Community School deficit.
With four minutes to go, McNamee goaled again. This time it came courtesy of a tap-in after Mulreaney in the Abbey goal had made a top-class save from advanced full-back Moore.
Abbey were very economical in their attack and looked to have done enough to claim a three-point win only for Moore – following a quick free from McCormick- to get the better of Mulreaney the next time they crossed paths. The full-time whistle of Sean Paul Doherty tooted seconds later.
That meant extra-time and Abbey begin it well, going for the jugular with the wind. And although Loreto Community School did make a fist of it for the umpteenth time in the second half, in the end their efforts fell just short. Abbey were good enough to see it out.
O’Donnell, the Abbey manager, can now cast an eye on his prospective opponents, as Rosses Community School face St Columba’s Glenties at a date to be confirmed. The other quarter-final fixtures see Coláiste na Carraige take on St Columbas Stranorlar and Pobalscoil Chloich Cheannfaola play Magh Ene College Bundoran.
Abbey Vocational School: Gavin Mulreaney; Cathal Canavan, Dan Meehan, Daniel Gallagher; Conor Breslin, Aaron McCrea, Colum McDonnell; Brendan McCole (1-0), Peadar Mogan (0-1); Nathan Ward (0-1), Jack Keaney (1-7, 2f), Iarlaith Cox; Jamie Crawford (1-5), Thomas McGowan (0-3), Daniel Brennan. Subs: Shaun Meehan, John Relihan (0-1), Tom O’Grady (0-1), Neil Ward (1-0).
Loreto Community School: Conor McBride; Conor Toland, Conor Moore (1-0), Conor McHugh (0-1); Ben McBride, Odhrán Shields, Tiarnan Cushinan; Sean Graham, Connor Gormley (0-2), Adam Serrina (0-1), Enda McCormick (0-7, 4f), Ryan McMahon (0-1), Niall Trearty, Eoghan Carr (1-0), Oisin McFadden. Subs: Shane McNamee (2-0), Bernard McGettigan (1-0), Pauric McGinty.
Referee: Sean Paul Doherty (Urris)
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