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Eunan’s too strong for Buncrana 27.05.10
Donegal Senior Hurling Championship Group 2

St Eunan’s...2-14

Buncrana...0-7

by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at Hibernian Park, Burt

ST EUNAN'S proved too strong for Buncrana in the first round of the Donegal SHC in Burt yesterday. Buncrana, Junior Championship finalists for the past two years (they won the title in 2008), were making their first ever appearance in the Donegal Senior Championship. They had won the Secondary League meeting between the sides a couple of week’s ago, but St Eunan’s had too much championship craft and experience on this occasion.
Eugene Organ hit eight points for the winners, while Mark Timoney chipped in with 2-1. Despite the best efforts of defender Adrian Deery and centre half forward Gerard Boyle, Buncrana struggled in most sectors of the pitch.
Playing with the wind in the first half, St Eunan’s opened the scoring with an Organ free and points from John Halley and Cormac Hartnett had them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead by the sixth minute, Buncrana’s opening score coming from Gerard Boyle.
Points from Stephen Boyle and Gerard Boyle had Buncrana level by the tenth minute, but St Eunan’s pulled away after that and dominated the rest of the half. Despite some wayward shooting (they hit eight first half wides), points from Organ (3), Gareth Cooper and Sean Breen gave them a 0-9 to 0-4 half time lead, Buncrana’s fourth point came from an excellent sideline cut from Gerard Boyle just before the break.
St Eunan’s had two goals ruled out for infringements in the first half, but Mark Timoney got the first of his brace seven minutes into the second half. A long free from Organ was going over the bar, but keeper Andy Nelson batted it down and Timoney slammed home from close range.
That made it 1-10 to 0-5, Alan Furlong’s early point for Buncrana having been cancelled out by another Organ free.
Buncrana adopted the tactic of launching long ball into the danger area, but county captain Colm Breathnach was a rock at full back and the Buncrana full forwards got little change out of him.
Stephen Boyle converted a 43 minute free for Buncrana before Timoney’s second goal killed the game off. He picked up a loose ball and hammered it to the net from 20 metres out.
The game petered out after that, Timoney and Organ (2), adding points for St Eunan’s with Seamus Hickey pointing from a free for Buncrana.

St Eunan’s: Lee Scanlon; Eunan O’Donnell, Colm Breathnach (0-1), Paul Crotty; Chris Gallagher, Dan O’Connor, Michael McGrath; Sean Breen (0-1), Eugene Organ (0-8); Paddy Flood, Cormac Hartnett (0-1), Colm Flood; Gareth Cooper (0-1), Mark Timoney (2-1), John Halley (0-1). Subs used: Dermot Breslin, Noel McDermott, Cormac Goulding and Gavin Craig.

Buncrana: Andy Nelson; Philip Harkin, PJ Doherty, Matthew Arthur; Adrian Deery, Seamus Hickey (0-1), Anthony Boyle; Sean Coyle, Stephen Boyle; Adam Duffy, Gerard Boyle (0-3), Alan Furlong (0-1); Ciaran McDonagh, Dave Guilfoyle, Eunan Green. Subs used: Lee Duffy, Brendan McFadden, Mark Cuffe.

For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent.
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