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Carn win cup at third time of asking 25.09.08
U-14 Division 2 Northern Board Championship Final

Carndonagh...3-10
(Caomhan Canny 2-3; Fionn McLaughlin 1-2; Conor Fagan 0-1; Gavin Monagle 0-1; Conor S Doherty 0-1; Conor McCormick 0-1; Ryan McLaughlin 0-1(1f).)

Robert Emmets...0-10
(Thomas Devlin 0-7 (2f); Patrick Dooher 0-1; Matthew O’Rourke 0-1; Justin Brown 0-1 (1f).)

by Jonathan Downey, Inishowen Independent, at Hibernian Park

CARNDONAGH'S under-14 footballers finally tasted success this season following their Northern Board Championship win over Robert Emmets by three goals.
It was still anyone’s game until injury time with just a goal between the sides. But Carndonagh took advantage of Robert Emmets’ pursuit for an equaliser, striking two goals in three minutes of added time.
Carndonagh opened the scoring at Hibernian Park with a long ball to full-forward Caomhan Canny who turned and pointed. Robert Emmets struck back on five minutes when Patrick Dooher took advantage of a bad kick-out from Fergal Doherty in goals.
The first 15 minutes of the game was dominated by Carn but they failed to add anything to the solitary point from Canny. Robert Emmets however penalised the Inishowen side with three points inside four minutes. Matthew O’Rourke put Emmets ahead with a well-worked point from the backline in the 14th minute. Thomas Devlin then added two points on the trot and they led Carn by 0-4 to 0-1.
That flurry of scores prompted Carn to increase the pressure. Carn’s quick hand passing play finally paid dividends in the 23rd minute when Conor Fagan pointed over. Gavin Monagle and substitute Conor S Doherty hit a point each two minutes later as Carn drew level.
Carn had a number of chances to go ahead but too often the ball sailed wide. Caomhan Canny was able to put Carn a point ahead at half time after his attempt on goal hit the crossbar before going over. Carn hit ten wides in contrast to just Robert Emmets one but that only indicated Carn’s dominance of both possession and territory.
Carn began the second half with a double change, bringing on Fionn McLaughlin and Conor McCormick at half-forward. Those changes brought an immediate impact on the game with Carn hit four points unanswered in the opening ten minutes.
Caomhan Canny’s deft left foot score gave Carn their first point. Fionn McLaughlin’s first point was gifted to him by Robert Emmets’ keeper but McLaughlin pointed well with his second. Fellow sub Conor McCormick completed the quartet of points in the 39th minute.
Robert Emmets’ Thomas Devine did have a goal chance sandwiched between Carn’s points but his bolt of a strike hit the underside of the bar. Thomas Devlin responded to that miss with two points in the 41st and 42nd minutes, one via a free and the other by a quick ball from Emma McGrory.
Carn’s half-back line was on top form with Kieran O’Callaghan particularly doing well extinguishing the threat from Aaron Dalton. In the 48th minute Carn found a break. Caomhan Canny received the ball one-on-one with his marker and Canny simply dribbled the ball before striking into top of the net. That left the score at 1-9 to 0-6 though Robert Emmets pulled the game back to within a kick of the ball with points from Justin Brown and Thomas Devlin (2).
The game went into added time but the Castlefin side were leaving plenty of space at the back as they looked for an equaliser. An unmarked Caomhan Canny punished that tactic when he was unmarked from a free and scored his second goal of the game. Ryan McLaughlin and Thomas Devlin traded points before Fionn McLaughlin started the celebrations with a goal on the break.
Carn’s 3-10 to 0-10 victory secured captain Conor Fagan lifted their first silverware at the third time of asking, after previously losing to Buncrana and Naomh Mhuire in the Inishowen Championship and County Division 2 League Finals respectively this year.

Carndonagh: Fergal Doherty; Brendan Monagle, Conor McDonagh, Cian Diver; Liam Coyle, Kieran O’Callaghan, Patrick Matthews; Conor Fagan, Ryan McLaughlin; Ciaran McLaughlin, Eunan Doherty, Conor E Doherty; Gavin Monagle, Caomhan Canny, Cathal Kelly. Subs: Conor S Doherty for Cathal Kelly (19 mins); Fionn McLaughlin for Ciaran McLaughlin and Conor McCormick for Conor E Doherty (both half-time); Matthew McLaughlin for Gavin Monagle (47 mins).

Robert Emmets: Gary McGrory; Niamh McBride, John Hunter, Mark Collishan; Kieran Crawford, Justin Brown, Ethan Lafferty; Patrick McColgan, Patrick Dooher; Darren McBride, Aaron Dalton, Emma McGrory; Matthew O’Rourke, Thomas Devlin, Tiernan McConnell.

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