Donegal 3-14 Aidan McAnespies 1-14
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| Donegal Captain Jason McDaid looks a happy man! |
It took extra time to separate Aidan McAnespies and Donegal
in the junior B football final. It
appeared to be all over with 10 minutes of normal time to go, even though
Donegal held a one man advantage.
Playing down a man, McAnespies still looked very much in control and had
held their opponents scoreless up to that point in the half. Donegal struck with 2 goals and a point in
the space of 2 minutes and almost won the game in the 60 minutes, but Owen
Fleming pointed for McAnespies to force the extra time. Still, Donegal had got a second chance, and
they made sure they took it scoring 7 points to McAnespies' one in the overtime
period.
At the end of the first half it was McAnespies who led by a
point. After Donegal had pointed twice
from Matthew and the young Kieran McDevitt, Jonathan Downey netted following a
good move involving Stephen Magill and Paddy Stones. McAnespies then built the lead to three
points with John Kindregan and John Roche, both of whom had just played in the
junior hurling final, Downey
and Stones playing well. Donegal strung
four points together as they came back into the game. Jonathan Byrne grabbed a foothold in midfield
and Jason McDaid and Hugh Devine converted.
Owen Fleming and Stones pointed just before the half to make it a 1-5 to
0-7 half time lead for McAnespies.
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| Brian Kelly up highest for this ball. |
The second half saw McAnespies outplay Donegal in most
facets of the game and with 10 minutes to go it looked as though the 2011
champions had it in the bag. Donegal
looked all out of ideas and did not score, and truth be told, did not look like
they had a score in them, for the first 20 minutes. The points sailed over the bar from Owen
McCosker, Stones, Magill, Paddy McCusker, Downey
and Fleming. What was disconcerting from
a Donegal viewpoint was that John Roche had been sent off 10 minutes into the
half for a second yellow card, so the northerners had an extra man. McAnespies played simple, sensible football
and looked like they were the side with the man advantage. Things were to change dramatically. In the space of 3 minutes Donegal had reduced
the lead to a point. The high ball into
Brian Kelly, who had been moved to a forward position, eventually paid
off. Jonathan Byrne and substitute Paul
Boyce netted a minute apart. Jason
McDaid pointed and Donegal had new life.
Donegal were now winning the battle for possession. Kelly pointed and Boyce put the go ahead
score over the bar. Fleming forced the
extra time with a point in the last minute.
Donegal took full advantage of the second chance and their
cause was helped after Downey
was shown a second yellow card. Substitute
Barney Boyle got first score of the additional time, Kelly the next and Jason
McDaid netted. After the turnaround it
was curtains for McAnespies as Declan Slevin was shown the line, wing back Hugh
Devine pointed the last 2 scores of the game and the junior B football
championship was delivered to Donegal.
Referee: Sean Joy (Kerry)
Man of the Match:
Jonathan Byrne (Donegal)
Donegal: M. Byrne, P.
McCafferty, P. Doherty, M. Coleman, D. Doherty, H. Devine (0-3), B. Kelly (0-1),
J. Byrne (1-0), K. McDevitt (0-2), J. Doogan, E. Byrne, J. McDaid (1-4), M.
Cunniffe (0-1). Subs: P. Boyce (1-0), Barry Boyle (0-1). Aidan McAnespies: N. Duffy, G. Trainor, A. Kellet, E. Daly, P.
McCusker (0-1), D. Gormley, J. Kindregan, J. Downey (1-2), P. Stones (0-2), J.
Roche (0-1), S. Magill (0-4), O. Fleming (0-4), O. McCosker (0-1). Subs:
D. Slevin, J. McKenna.
By Rory O'Donnell
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