GAOTH DOBHAIR ARE now the only unbeaten side in the AllSportStore.com All-County Football League Division 1 following their victory at St Eunan’s this evening.
St Eunan’s 0-7 Gaoth Dobhair 1-9
The Letterkenny side – who were the only other team not to be overturned – were much weakened in miserable conditions but did manage to open the scoring through a point from their captain on the evening, Conor O’Donnell, in the second minute.
Photo caption: Kevin Cassidy of Gaoth Dobhair gets ahead of Colin McIntyre and Sean Hensey of St Eunan’s in the AllSportStore.com All-County Football League Division 1 clash at O’Donnell Park. Photo: Geraldine Diver
[adrotate group=”56″]But Conal Sheridan’s side went in front 0-5 to 0-1 following a long-range point and then a free from Odhrán MacNiallais and a close-in and far-out pair of efforts from Gavin McBride. Michael Carroll then smashed over from an angle.
Gaoth Dobhair then had three wides called that were debatable before Conall Dunne scored St Eunan’s second point a minute before half-time and Conor Gibbons added another.
On the face of it, David McGinley’s side could’ve had it a lot worse than just being the two points down, 0-5 to 0-3, at the break.
Twenty-eight seconds into the second half, though, Gaoth Dobhair goaled when Owen Ward got free and shot underneath Aidan Simmons, the St Eunan’s goalkeeper.
[adrotate group=”31″]And even though Gibbons replied for the home team, Gaoth Dobhair went out to 1-6 to 0-4 in front with a peach of a strike from Carroll.
St Eunan’s almost got a goal themselves on 36 minutes when a fisted centre from Patrick McGowan grazed the fingertips of both Conor Morrison and Dunne.
A lightening break from the visitors at the other end, after Naoise Ó Baoill initially latched onto a loose ball just outside his own 45 and the ball was worked to Carroll on the right.
[adrotate group=”55″]Last year’s county minor captain put the head down and drove with his right foot only for Morrison to make a brave block. McBride crisply planted the 45 over.
Donnacha Gallagher scored a fine point on the turn for St Eunan’s, but Ward’s goal had given Gaoth Dobhair a cushion. On a night when it was going to be difficult to score a succession of points, it seemed as though a goal would be needed for St Eunan’s.
But it never came. McBride’s free on 52 minutes meant that the team from Magheragallon were 1-8 to 0-5 to the good before the corner-forward popped over his fifth of the evening.
St Eunan’s scored two late points through O’Donnell and a McGowan free but with the Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Donegal SFC kicking into gear next weekend, Gaoth Dobhair have made the best start of everyone to the bread and butter of the league.
[adrotate group=”12″]St Eunan’s: Aidan Simmons; Conor Morrison, Sean Hensey, Colin McIntyre; Cathal Roache, Conor O’Donnell (0-2), Peter Devine; Oisin Carr, David Tyrrell; Brendan Maguire, Conor Gibbons (0-2f), Conall Dunne (0-1); Patrick McGowan (0-1, 1f), Cormac Coghlan, Donnacha Gallagher (0-1). Subs: Eamonn Doherty for Hensey (24), Kevin Rafferty for Coghlan (41).
Gaoth Dobhair: Christopher Sweeney; Gary McFadden, Jamie Reynolds, Christopher McFadden; Ciaran Ferry, Kevin Cassidy, Cian Mulligan; Peter McGee, Michael Carroll (0-2); Naoise Ó Baoill, Odhran MacNiallais (0-2, 1f), Niall Friel; Owen Ward (1-0), Gavin McBride (0-5, 1f, 45), Paul Mulligan. Subs: James Boyle for McFadden (56), Eamon Colum for Ward (57).
Referee: Michael McShane (Kilcar)
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