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Moville overcome Lifford in monsoon 27.08.09
Daly Brothers Lifford Junior A Football Championship Semi Final

Lifford...0-9

Moville...2-10


by Chris McNulty, for Inishowen Independent, at O’Donnell Park

MOVILLE are into their first Junior A Championship Final since 1996 after a convincing semi final win over Lifford’s Naomh Padraig in a monsoon at O’Donnell Park yesterday afternoon.
Two goals from Oran McDermott proved to be the crucial scores in the game. His first, six minutes into the second-half, came at a time when Lifford looked like they might have been about to get back into the contest, and his second put daylight between them five minutes from the end.
If the first-half had been a low scoring affair, the second came to life and a flurry of six points in a row after McDermott’s opening goal really helped Moville to pull clear.
The throw-in was slightly delayed just before the throw-in as referee Don Langan sought the assistance of a pair of volunteers from each camp to umpire - though one wonders why, for a County semi final, neutral umpires hadn’t been brought to O’Donnell Park.
Scores were few and far between in the early stages, played in a biblical deluge, with just two points inside the tame opening quarter.
The Inishowen team were first off the mark when midfielder Malachy McDermott fired over a free when John Faulkner won a free off Mark Foley after the corner forward capitalised on a poor free out of the Lifford rearguard.
Shane Meehan levelled on ten minutes when he clipped over in style from a pass by Gary McGirr. It would be the 16th minute before the border side would split the Moville sticks again - this time, Meehan doubled his and his team’s tally.
That second point from Meehan made it a one-point game again, after Moville moved into the driving seat through a point from distance by McDermott and one from close-range by Nigel McMonagle.
Lifford had a let-off in stoppage time in the first-half. ‘Keeper Shaun McBrearty let a long ball into the mixer drop into the path of full-forward Sean O’Hare, but the Lifford stopper blocked his back-heel at goal.
Leading by the minimum (0-3 to 0-2) at the interval, Moville moved two ahead in the early minutes of the second-half when Malachy McDermott’s shot was deflected over the crossbar.
While Lifford responded immediately, when Lorny Crossan sauntered down the left wing to score a fine point, Paul Melaugh’s charges were rocked with the concession of a 36th minute goal.
A combination of Sean O’Hare and John Faulkner broke the ball down and Oran McDermott was onto it in a flash. McDermott raced in and in a one-on-one situation with Shaun McBrearty he found the back of the net in style.
Again Lifford responded, Gary McGirr firing over a free, but the gap was out to five by the 40th minute, Oran McDermott converting a free after John Faulkner got the angles to perfection with a good score from out the right.
Worse was to come for Naomh Padraig. With the tails up, Moville continued to clock up the scores, two from PJ Barr being intersected by a good point by John Faulkner from close to the end-line.
Oran McDermott put nine between them with another skillful effort from distance and as the heavens poured down on O’Donnell Park, Lifford managed to stem the tide with a neat Kevin Daly point from 30 metres coming before Shane Meehan tapped over a free.
It was game, set and match to Moville on 55 minutes when McDermott latched onto a break inside and he sent a sweet effort across the advancing McBrearty to the far corner for goal number two.
To their credit, Naomh Padraig kept up the fight to the bitter end, two frees from Shane Meehan and one from a placed ball by Gary McGirr, were merely consolation scores however.
Moville advance to the Junior decider and they line up against Milford in the September 13th final in Ballybofey.
With Enda Faulkner, Eunan Hegarty, Malachy McDermott, PJ Barr and Oran McDermott in good form yesterday, it’s with a good deal of confidence that Eddie Devine and company progress.

Naomh Padraig: Shaun McBrearty; Mark Foley, Mark McNulty, Damien Tourish; Michéal Ferry, Kevin Daly (0-1), Lorny Crossan (0-1); Paul Lynch, Hugh Devine; Mark Carlin, Paul Given, Shane Gallagher; Shane Meehan (0-5, 3f), Cathal Gibbons, Gary McGirr (0-2, 2f). Subs: Johnny Mahon for Carlin (42 mins); Mark Boland for Gibbons (47 mins)

Moville: Maurice McGeady; Tony McGeady, Enda Faulkner, Conor O’Donnell; Eunan Hegarty, Michael Browne, Seamus Hegarty; Paul White, Malachy McDermott (0-3, 1f); Nigel McMonagle (0-1), PJ Barr (0-2), John McGeady; Oran McDermott (2-2, 1f), Sean O’Hare, John Faulkner (0-2). Subs: Liam Doherty for O’Hare (51 mins); Joe McBride for Barr (59 mins); Mark Henry for J. Faulkner (59 mins)

Referee: Don Lagan (St Michael’s)

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