ST EUNAN’S hosted the Ulster Finals of the Óg Sport Gael 7-a-side competition for U15 boys on Saturday at O’Donnell Park with Monaghan’s Aughnamullen running out the eventual winners.
St. Eunan’s became the first Donegal club to claim the prestigious title when they defeated Clann Eireann from Armagh in the 2013 decider under Jim Clarke, Paddy MacIntyre and Brendan O’Donnell.
They hosted last year’s finals and repeated the feat when Paul McGovern and Brian McGeehin’s charges defeated another Armagh team, Killeavy to claim back-to-back titles.
Donegal were represented by Naomh Columba this year under the guidance of 1992 All-Ireland winning captain, Anthony Molloy, and his management team.
With the late withdrawal of the Down representatives it was to be an eight-team competition.
The Glen men were drawn in Group A with Mullahoran (Cavan), Erin’s Own Caragan (Antrim) and Aughnamullen (Monaghan) while Group B contained Enniskillen Gaels (Fermanagh), Clann Eireann (Armagh), Killeeshil (Tyrone) and Steelstown Brian Ógs (Derry).
In Group A the Glen lads got off to a good start defeating Mullahoran by one point to claim an opening win while Aughnamullen (pictured above) scored a big win over Erin’s Own.
In Group B there were opening wins for Steelstown over Enniskillen Gaels and Clann Eireann over Killeeshil.
In the second round of games Mullahoran and Erin’s Own played out a draw before Naomh Columba defeated Aughnamullen on a score of 2-08 to 2-06 in a tense encounter.
The second set of matches in Group B saw Killeeshil have a big win over Enniskillen Gaels before Clann eireann and Steelstown drew 1-06 to 1-06 to set up winner take all final games between Aughnamullen and Mullahoran in Group A.
The Glen men were already safely through to the semi-finals before their meeting with Erin’s Own and Killeeshil and Steelstown played out an enthralling game with the Tyrone boys winning by 4-06 to 3-08 to send them through to the semi-finals with Clann Eireann who defeated Enniskillen Gaels to top their group.
The Plate final sent Steelstown to a meeting with Enniskillen Gaels and the Derry lads who were unlucky not to make the Shield semi-finals had a good win to claim the Plate on a score of 3-06 to 2-04.
The Shield semi-final pairings saw Naomh Columba taking on Killeeshil and Clann Eireann meeting Aughnamullen.
The Glen boys were just running on empty against their physically bigger opponents and were sent crashing out after topping their group.
The same fate awaited Group B winners Clann Eireann who were no match for Aughnamullen despite a late goal they went down 2-10 to 3-04.
This set up a final between the two group runners up. In a pulsating end-to-end encounter the Monaghan lads ran out winners over Tyrone’s Killeeshil on a score of 4-05 to 3-06 with the Tyrone boys having 3 goal attempts blocked late on.
Aughnamullen hung on to claim a first ever Óg Sport Gael title for the Farney county and they will have the honour of hosting the event in 2016 when St. Eunan’s will be hoping that this year’s all-conquering U14 team cam reclaim the crown next year.
Donegal’s Ulster Council Delegate Pat Conaghan was in attendance to make the presentation to the victorious teams and Ulster GAA paid particular thanks to St Eunan’s for their help and assistance in hosting this prestigious event.
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