ABBEY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL marched into the next round of the Donegal Senior ‘A’ Vocational Schools Championship as Pauric O’Donnell’s team had 19 points to spare on St Catherine’s VS in Mountcharles.
Abbey Vocational School 4-16 St Catherine’s Vocational School 0-09
Daniel Brennan’s 28th minute goal had Abbey (pictured above) nine ahead at half-time and they added goals from Nathan Ward, Neil Ward and Jamie Crawford in the second half.
The scoreline might well have ended lopsided, but that only served to tell a part of the tale.
St Catherine’s stormed right back into the game early in the second half and Abbey were thankful to goalkeeper Paul Cannon, who made two superb saves to deny substitute Ryan Cunningham, one of them from a penalty.
The fightback was led by Shaun Gorrell, a nephew of former Donegal player Manus Boyle, but Abbey shook their heads, regrouped and finished by ruthlessly putting the Killybegs scholars to the sword.
Brennan netted late in the first half when he powered in to fire home, but it took them some time to find the gears in the second half.
Ten minutes from time, Nathan Ward neatly picked his spot in the St Catherine’s net and, almost immediately, Neil Ward added a third from close range.
Crawford tucked home the fourth in the dying seconds following Brendan McCole’s driving run at the St Catherine’s rearguard.
After Nathan Ward clipped Abbey into a first-minute lead, St Catherine’s moved ahead through scores from Michael Gallagher (free) and Gorrell.
Abbey quickly assumed control and rattled off five points in a lethal three-minute spell.
Neil Ward took a quick free after being tripped up and picked out Iarlaith Cox, who fired over the leveller.
Brennan put the Donegal town school into the lead and they hit three frees in a row, with Jack Keaney and Nathan Ward on the mark before Thomas McGowan landed a magnificent free from 45 metres.
Gallagher stemmed the flow, but it was only momentary respite as Abbey powered into a 1-10 to 0-4 half-time lead.
Breslin, McGowan and Keaney scored three in as many minutes and, two minutes from the end of the first half, Brennan hammered past Gareth Hickey, the St Catherine’s goalkeeper, for a goal that looked to have killed the tie as a contest.
St Catherine’s (above) had other ideas and, with Gorrell in form, they came back to within four points.
St Catherine’s could have been closer still, but Cannon flung himself low to the right to turn away Cunningham’s penalty, awarded when Dan Meehan blocked Ryan Rose’s rebound on the ground after Cunningham struck against a post.
Cunningham was denied again by Cannon, put clear from a flowing move involving Conor Knox and Ryan Carr.
They remained in touch, but when Nathan Ward hit the net the curtains could be drawn as Abbey move into the quarter-finals. For St Catherine’s, it’s the back door route.
Abbey Vocational School: Paul Cannon; Gary Timoney, Dan Meehan, Daniel Gallagher; Conor Breslin (0-1), Aaron McCrea, Ryan Hegarty; Brendan McCole, Thomas McGowan (0-2, 1f); Nathan Ward (1-4, 2f), Jack Keaney (0-3, 2f), Iarlaith Cox (0-1); Jamie Crawford (1-0), Neil Ward (1-0), Daniel Brennan (1-4). Subs: Shaun Meehan for Cox (42), Donal McGready for McGowan (52), Colm McDonnell (0-1) for Brennan (55), Mícheál Drzwecki (55), Darragh Kelly for Timoney (56).
St Catherine’s Vocational School: Gareth Hickey; Rory Kee, Darragh Byrne, Kevin McGuinness; Callum Quinn, Daniel Keaney (0-1, 1 ’45), Conor Callaghan; Shaun Gorrell (0-4), Jack McSharry; Jordan McDaid, Michael Gallagher (0-4, 4f), Conor Knox; Ryan Rose, Nathan Moore, Darragh Murrin. Subs: Ryan Cunningham for Moore (half-time), Ryan Carr for Callaghan (40), Luke Foy for Knox (55), Keelan Byrne for McDaid (58), Josh McGettigan for McGuinness (58).
Referee: Val Murray (Aodh Ruadh).
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