Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin begin Junior A Championship with a win over Urris

Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin got their Donegal Junior A Championship off to a winning start with Jonathan Toye scoring six of their points against Urris. 

The game began as a cagey affair on a very warm Sunday, and it was Naomh Padraig started the better of the two teams and dominated possession. They took a deserved lead after three minutes when Dermot Keaveney put the ball over the bar.

Toye added a point from a free before Urris scored their only point of the half on 13 minutes when Eddie Kelly registered. A decisive moment came in the 17 minute when Brendan Doherty was black-carded for a cynical foul.

Naomh Padraig made the most of the extra man and scored another five points before the half ended with Toye kicking three of those, two from free kicks. 

The other points came from Kevin Lynch and the score of the half came from Rory Hirrell as he put the ball over from the 45, line while under huge pressure from the Urris defence. At the break it was 0-7 to 0-1 for the home team.

Urris came out fighting in the second half and got themselves the perfect start. Two minutes in they forced a turnover from a short kick-out. They got Eddie Kelly in a great position and he was able to turn and fire the ball across the keeper and score a goal to bring Urris within three points, 0-7 to 1-1 down.

Naomh Padraig, who were without Caolan McColgan who is on holiday in the United States, responded by scoring the next three points to restore their six-point lead. Two of them came from Toye and a third from Hirrell put the game beyond Urris. 

Urris kept plugging away and eventually scored another two points before Hirrell scored his third point of the game and see the win out for Naomh Padraig.

Naomh Padraig scorers: Jonathan Toye 0-6; 4f; Rory Hirrell 0-3; Dermot Keaveney and Kevin Lynch 0-1 each.

Urris scorers: Eddie Kelly 1-1;  Matthew Brennan and Jonathan Noone 0-1 each.

Naomh Padraig: Oran McCauley; Daniel McMenamin, Cathal McColgan, Caolan Harkin; Michael McCarron, Cormac Kelly, Jason McCallion; Jonathan Toye, Eunan Mullan; Darragh McIntyre, Dermot Keaveney, Oisin McIntyre; Rory Hirrell, Kevin Lynch, Joseph McCauley. 

Subs: Andrew McCarron for C McCarron (20), Kevin Doherty for J McCauley (59).

Urris: Jonathan Noone; Kieran Kelly, Luke Devlin, Jonathan McDaid; Brendan Doherty, Gavin McDaid, Matthew Brennan; Oisin Devlin, Patrick Doherty; Shane McCaul, John McCarron, Tiernan McDonald; Michael Grant, Eddie Kelly, Jack Doherty. Subs: Dean Harkin for J Doherty (47), Daniel Devlin for J McCarron (54), Mark McLaughlin for S McCaul (54)

Referee: Trevor Moloney (Buncrana)