Errigal fight back to beat St Eunan's in Ulster clash

Errigal Ciarán 0-12 St Eunan's 0-10

Ben McDonnell rescued Errigal Ciarán with three late points as they edged out St Eunan’s following a breathtaking second half at O’Neills Healy Park.

The Tyrone champions found the perfect finish to come out the right side of a gripping Ulster Club SFC preliminary round tie that was level on seven occasions.

Shane O’Donnell’s inspired display appeared to have just about done it for the Donegal champions, but the Tyrone men found the will and the hunger to stay in it, before striking for home at the death.

With the Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairi, stifled by the expert man-marking briefs of Aaron Deeney and Conor Morrison, Errigal were always going to have to look elsewhere for the avenues of incision that would make the difference, and in Tyrone midfielder McDonnell they had the very man.

Letterkenny suffered a huge pre-match blow with the withdrawal due to injury of county attacker Niall O’Donnell, but his brother Shane sparkled as he took the game confidently to the Tyrone champions, finding gaps in the cover to pick off a couple of superb first-half scores.

That was after Errigal had opened up a 0-03 to 0-01 lead with a couple of Ruairi Canavan efforts and a Peter Harte point inside the opening ten minutes, the visitors’ only reply coming from a free converted by Conor O’Donnell Jr.

Aaron Deeney’s marking brief on Darragh Canavan helped keep things tight at the back for the Letterkenny men, who narrowed the gap through Conor O’Donnell Sr.

But midway through the half Canavan found a pass to release Joe Oguz, who was hauled down as he cut inside. Referee Noel Mooney awarding a penalty, and Peter Harte’s spot kick superbly saved by Shaun Patton.

Ruairi Canavan converted the resulting