Donnelly to the fore as Shan edge tight encounter

The second of the double header in Hogan Park, Moate on Sunday last turned out to equally entertaining and was tight right to the bitter end as last year’s intermediate champions Shandonagh turned over former senior kingpins Garrycastle.

It was another contest that ebbed and flowed and contained all the skills of the great game.

Hard hitting and uncompromising, this game was not for the faint hearted and referee Mick Murtagh had his hands full with five yellow cards shown and a late red for Garrycastle’s Mark McCallon. In truth, it was whole hearted stuff from start to finish with both teams showing great pride and determination for the jersey.

It was a game of four quarters with Garrycastle dominating 1 and 4 but Shandonagh held sway in the middle 30 odd minutes and did just about enough to garner the points, in what is going to be a tight group where any result is possible on a given day.

The opening exchanges were tame with Ryan Donnelly edging Shandonagh in front after four minutes. But Garrycastle then went on a spree with Eoin Monaghan pointing a free before an opportunistic goal and two superb points from Jason Nugent saw the men in green and red take control.

Luke Tynan and a Tom Molloy free narrowed the gap but Nugent added another outrageous point to keep Garrycastle in the ascendancy and at this stage he was unmarkable. Ryan Donnelly pointed a free for Shandonagh but Eoin Mulvihill replied in kind from play at the opposite end before Shandonagh had their best spell of the half.

Two more Donnelly frees, a sublime strike from the ageless Alan Hickey and the equaliser from wing-back Adam Treanor saw Shandonagh draw level, but with the last kick of the half Garrycastle goalie Sean Brennan put his side back in front with a wonderful '45' and they led 1-6 to 0-8 at the short whistle.

That lead was extended on the resumption with John Gaffey pointing and then Brennan adding another monster free, and at this stage it looked as if the former champions would run away with the game.

But Shandonagh bit down hard and scored six of the next seven points from Brian Kavanagh (two frees), two excellent team moves finished by Donnelly, Tom Molloy after a move he started and finished himself, and the pick of the bunch from Luke Tynan.

Garrycastle’s reply was a Cathal Mannion free and an open goal chance fluffed by James Dolan and now it was Shandonagh who led by two. Garrycastle’s recovery became even harder when Mark McCallon was red-carded after winning a free, but Brennan did restore some order with another monster conversion from a deadball. When Gareth Carr was black-carded for Shandonagh, it was 14 on 14 to the finish and the game was still in the melting pot, but in their push for the equaliser Garrycastle were exposed at the back and Kavanagh added another free.

Still, John Benton's charges refused to lie down and Brennan, with another dead ball from downtown, had it back to one.

But try as they might, Garrycastle could not regain parity and Shandonagh held out to record their opening day win back in senior football after a tremendous hour or so of full blooded and skilful football.

Scorers - Shandonagh: R Donnelly 0-6 (3 frees), Tom Molloy 0-3 (2f), L Tynan and B Kavanagh (2f) 0-2 each, A Treanor and A Hickey 0-1 each. Garrycastle: J Nugent 1-3, S Brennan 0-4 (3f 1 45’), J Gaffey, E Mulvihill, E Monaghan (f) and C Mannion (f) 0-1 each.

Shandonagh: Conor Craig, Cathal Craig, Daire Conway, Maitiu Scully, Adam Treanor, Danny Scahill, Gareth Carr, Cormac Gordon, Caelum Faughnan, Alan Hickey, Darren McWade, Luke Tynan, Tom Molloy, Ryan Donnelly, Brian Kavanagh. Subs: Cormac Coyne for Hickey (46 mins), Simon Carr for Tynan (50), Aaron Flanagan for Gordon (55), Jensen Nagle for Faughnan (62).

Garrycastle: Sean Brennan, Fergal McKiernan, Jack Donohue, Mark McCallon, Bill Kelly, Gary McCallon, John Gaffey, Justin Barrett, Eoin Mulvihill, Jack Mulvihill, Eoin Monaghan, Ben Kilkenny, Cathal Mannion, James Dolan, James Nugent. Subs: Conor McKiernan for Mulvihill (31 mins), Mickey Greene for Kelly (39), Doron Harte for Mannion and James Sheeran for Monaghan (46), Ger Heneghan for Kilkenny (50).

Referee: Mick Murtagh.