FIVE POINTS DOWN with just six minutes to go, things looked bleak for Moville Community College in their Donegal U-14B Schools semi-final this afternoon.
Moville Community College 2-7 St Catherine’s Vocational School, Killybegs 2-6
Sean O’Hare’s side trailed St Catherine’s Vocational School 2-6 to 1-4 and were facing into a stiff wind at the Centre of Excellence in Convoy.
But they mustered one last titanic effort to produce a win that emulates that of their senior team earlier in the week.
Sean McCauley joined the attack, not for the first time, daringly. The Moville full-back saw the ball break to Brendan Moorse, whose dinking effort was turned onto the crossbar by St Catherine’s goalkeeper Corey Byrne, only for McCauley to slap in his side’s second goal.
With a head of steam built up, Moville continued to press – a point from Darren Davenport and then a free courtesy of Eoin O’Doherty levelled the scores, 2-6 apiece.
And into injury time, Moville worked a short free kick, from which Ronan Hoy scored the winner.
Here’s the winner …
For St Catherine’s, nine second half wides and one ball dripping short came back to haunt them.
The Kilybegs side contributed to an exciting encounter but will be disappointed by their inabilities not to get over the line.
The first half was tied up at 0-3 to 0-3 when Jason Dobbyn from St Catherine’s blasted the opening goal of the game on 22 minutes following good approach play from Seamus Byrne and Conor Cunningham.
A minute later, Moville had goalkeeper Ciaran McLaughlin to thank having made a fine save to deny Mark Hutcheson a second St Catherine’s goal.
By the break, the side from the south-west were 1-4 to 0-4 up having played against the breeze.
St Catherine’s started the second half with four successive wides, while Moville, who were running the ball more, were certainly better in the economy stakes.
From their first meaningful attack of the second half, Alan Clarke goaled following a pass from Aidan Ferns on 35 minutes. It was 1-4 apiece.
O’Doherty kicked the Inishowen team in front, only for St Catherine’s to goal themselves at the other end. It was Dobbyn, again, who found the net when he shot across McLaughlin on 48 minutes.
Conor Cunningham pointed on 54 minutes and it looked as though St Catherine’s passage to the final against Loreto Milford was almost assured. But Moville refused to lie down and fought back to produce a stunning win.
Moville Community School: Ciaran McLaughlin; Will Farren, Sean McCauley (1-0), Joe Harley; Prionsais Frens, Ronan Hoy (0-1), Shane Grant; Aidan Ferns, Eoin O’Doherty (0-3, 1f); Darren Davenport (0-1), Sean McDermott (0-1), Dylan McCallion; Brendan Moore; Alan Clarke (1-1), Michael Grimley.
St Catherine’s Vocational School, Killybegs: Corey Byrne; John Laffen, Cillian Gildea, Kevin O’Boyle; Rory Colyer, Dylan Henry, Patrick Dowd; Seamus Byrne, Ross Conneely (0-2); Dillon Doogan, Conor Cunningham (0-3), Mark Hutcheson (0-1, 1f); Emlyn Murrin, Jason Dobbyn (2-0), Matthew Laffen. Subs: Jonathan Bach for Doogan (37), Eoin Cassidy for Murrin (48).
Referee: Paddy McGeever (Glenfin).
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