AN uncertain start they might’ve endured at Tirconaill Park against Four Masters but St Michael’s soon ironed out the creases.
Four Masters 2-5 St Michael’s 3-12
The nuts and the bolts of it mean that Eddie Harkin’s team now have four points from their opening two fixtures in the RTE Raidió Na Gaeltachta and with a scoring difference of +20, they are not going to be caught in Group 3.
Their 10-point win in Donegal town was their second by such a margin having overcome Cloughaneely 2-11 to 0-7 in their opening fixture at the Bridge in Dunfanaghy in May.
Against Four Masters, but for a strange goal concession for the first score of the match and a penalty for the last, they were completely dominant.
After just three minutes, Four Masters went ahead with a debatable goal. Caolan Loughney broke down the left flank and punched for a point, but the effort didn’t have the legs and rebounded down off the crossbar.
Leo McHugh stabbed it home from close range but St Michael’s goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley argued the point that the ball had crossed the line from the original effort so the goal shouldn’t stand.
Seamus McGonigle, the match referee, awarded the goal and Four Masters had a decent start. That was, though, as good as it was going to get for the side managed by Ciaran McBride.
From then until the end of the half, it was a procession and St Michael’s, with Christy Toye and Martin McElhinney running the show from centre-field, almost owning the football.
By half-time the team from Dunfanaghy were 0-7 to 1-1 up, with Toye scything over two lovely  points and Andrew Kelly also impressing with three precise scores near the end of the half. Colm McFadden and Daniel McLaughlin were also in on the act.
Four Masters’ only reply was the last score of the first 30 minutes, through Sean O’Kennedy.
The second half, for the home support, was even worse as St Michael’s scored almost at will. After Michael Langan pointed, Ciaran Gallagher scored St Michael’s first goal on 37 minutes. It wasn’t the prettiest, with Ryan Haughey in the Four Masters goal having saved initially before Gallagher’s second stab trickled over the line.
Kelly, Daniel McLaughlin with a peach and a McFadden score pushed St Michael’s lead out to 1-11 to 1-2 before, in the 49th minute, a wonderfully crafted second goal.
Michael Langan played the ball into the danger area and Kelly, who was excellent throughout, ran past the ball and palmed it back to McFadden, who just walked around Haughey to stroke home.
It was a really well worked goal and McFadden followed it up with a booming point.
Seven minutes later, Daniel McLaughlin was on hand to palm home a third goal for 3-12 to 1-3, finishing a move that began with a raking McElhinney ball was fetched by substitute Brian McLaughlin and played onto Michael Gallagher.
With time almost up, Emmet Doogan, the Four Masters substitute, made a gamely run for goal only to be brought to the ground by Liam Paul Ferry. Michael Doherty got the better of McGinley but it was of scant consolation to Four Masters, who could be in trouble.
St Michael’s on the other hand, have a spring in their step, with the only negative being a serious looking shoulder injury picked up by Michael Breslin in a competitive and fair challenge with Jason Duignan.
Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Enda Bonner, Daire Quinn, Caolan Loughrey; Kevin Breslin, Sean O’Kennedy (0-1), Karl Lacey; Josh Lacey, Barry Dunnion; Leo McHugh (1-1), Jason Duignan, Barry Monaghan; Emmet Doogan, Michael Doherty (1-2, 1-0 pen, 1f), Dillon Ward (0-1). Subs: Sean Meehan for J Lacey (43), Dylan Muldoon for Bonner (50), Emmet Doogan for O’Kennedy (56).
St Michael’s: Mark Anthony McGinley; Liam Paul Ferry, Stephen Doak; Christopher McElhinney; Peter Witherow, Ciaran Gallagher (1-0), Michael Gallagher; Christy Toye (0-2), Martin McElhinney (0-1); Michael Langan (0-1), Daniel McLaughlin (1-2), Martin Breslin; Ryan Langan, Colm McFadden (1-2, 1f), Andrew Kelly (0-4, 1f). Subs: Michael Cannon for Breslin (12), Michael McGinley for C McElhinney (half-time), Brendan Rodden and Brian McLaughlin for M Langan and R Langan (53), Antoin McFadden and Stephen Black for Witherow and M Gallagher.
Referee: Seamus McGonigle (Aodh Ruadh).
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