Donegal 1-8 Wolfe Tones 0-10
Donegal came through in the final 10 minutes of the junior A
football final to claim the title and the Pat Callaghan Cup from Wolfe
Tones. Pat Callaghan was a stalwart for
the GAA in Boston for years, and still helped out on the board well into his
later years. It was fitting that the
inaugural Pat Callaghan cup go to Donegal, for Pat was a Donegal man himself.
 |
| Donegal Captain Emmet Doonan Accepts the Pat Callaghan Cup from Anne Callaghan. |
For most of the game it looked as if the Tones would have it
as they led for 50 of the 60 minutes.
After a player from each side was sent off, Donegal’s fitter legs
carried the day. A goal from Michael McGinty
and two late points from Rocky Ivors and Christy Bell put the cup into Donegal
hands.
There was very little between the teams in the opening
period. Wolfe Tones got the scoring
going with a point from Mick Sammon followed by a well taken Mike O’Brien
point. Donegal were level shortly
after. Rocky Ivors found Christy McLoughlin
with a great ball and McLoughlin pointed.
Kevin Curran then leveled affairs with a free. With the Tones half backs doing well, the
South Boston team went on the three point spin.
Joey Farrell pointed twice from play and Sammon once. Donegal fought back. Ivors and McGinty did well in the middle of
the field. Two points from McLoughlin
brought Donegal within a point at the break.
The second half saw two sendings off. Kevin Gorham and
Ciaran Flynn, who had just entered the fray, were shown red mid way through the
half for striking The Tones had added to
their lead. Marty McGeough had entered
the game at corner forward and the Tones picked off four unanswered points. Sammon, Keelan, O’Brien and McGeough were the
scorers. Donegal were not having much
success in their efforts until Kevin Curran pointed a free 17 minutes into the
half, and Paddy McMyler put over another from play. With three points in it veteran Michael
McGinty netted from inside the 14.
McMyler found Rocky Ivors for the go ahead point and all in the space of
5 minutes Donegal were ahead. The Tones
lost another man to a red card. Ed Carr
and McMyler were involved in a scuffle.
McMyler was shown a yellow and Carr a red and now it was 11 versus 12
for the last few minutes. The Tones had
it all to do now and with a couple of minutes left on the clock there was a
chance. The champions put all their
efforts into turning the game, but Christy Bell put two points in it. The Tones still had time to steal it and had
futile claims for a late penalty as Keelan went down in a crowded penalty area
but at that point in the game a penalty claim would have to have been
explicitly clear. Keelan pointed from
the sideline to bring it to a point, but it was Donegal who won the next
kickout and the final whistle went.
Delight for the Donegal juniors who dedicated the season to former
player, the late Thomas Maguire of Ardara.
Referee: James
Owens: (Loch Garman)
Man of the Match:
Rocky Ivors (Donegal)
Donegal: J. Byrne, P.
McNulty, D. McBride, P. McLoughlin, E. Doonan, D. Doherty, C. Bell, M. McGinty,
R. Ivors, K. Curran, P. McMyler, C. McLoughlin, D. Green. Wolfe Tones:
B. Murray, K. Gorham, K. Gill, M. O’Brien, C. Davy, E. Carr, J. Farrell,
K. Keelan, G. Walsh, G. Molloy, S. Kelly, M. Sammon, J. Carroll.
By Rory O'Donnell
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