BUNCRANA minors are county championship winners after a hard-fought victory over St Eunan’s at MacCumhaill Park this evening.
There was a good crowd in attendance for the floodlit match in Ballybofey to see two of the best U-18 sides in the county go head-to-head in a gripping encounter which was only decided in extra-time.
Three points from Buncrana’s Man of the Match Caolan McGonagle in extra time – two of them from 45s – saw them to victory in a pulsating match.
Buncrana had led by four points to no score well into the first half and went in at the break ahead 0-04 to 0-02 in a very tactical game, Conor McEniff and Conor O’Donnell hitting the points for the Letterkenny side late on to reduce the deficit.
John Campbell (2), Darach O’Connor and Caolan McGonagle had given Buncrana the four point advantage.
McEniff hit three more points in the second half to edge St Eunan’s into a 0-08 to 0-06 lead.
Buncrana reduced the deficit to a single point when Darrach O’Connor converted a free and it made 0-08 to 0-07.
And then in injury time Caolan McGonagle hit another free over to level the match at eight points each.
In extra time, St Eunan’s looked sharper and Brian McGeehin hit a point to edge them into the lead once more.
Jordan O’Dowd had the chance to extend the lead but his thunderbolt rattled off the crossbar.
Then Buncrana dug deep again and levelled the match once more with a monster point from 45 yards from McGonagle to leave it square again at the break.
Two minutes in and McGonagle did it again – another scorching point from a 45 – to give Buncrana the lead.
St Eunan’s missed a free and a chance to level; and McGonagle scored again, this time from closer in.
The Letterkenny lads fought on, David Tyrell pointing – but Buncrana held on to and scored again win 0-12 to 0-10.
Well done to both sides.
Earlier Noamh Columba lifted the Division 2 championship with a good win over Na Rossa.