Kevin Cassidy inspired Gaoth Dobhair to a hard-fought five point victory over St Michaels in Dunfanaghy.
St Michaels 0-15 1-17 Gaoth Dobhair
Despite a slight wind whirling around the pitch, conditions were very much excellent for a game of football. Gaoth Dobhair led by Cassidy playing most of the game on the edge of the square started the game poorly.
St Michaels had four points on the board before Gaoth Dobhair opened their account. Michael Carroll and Eamon McGee then began to patrol the middle sector and the visitors played their way into the game.
By half-time they had turned around the deficit and were three ahead. An intelligent second-half performance in which Gaoth Dobhair carefully held possession when needed secured the points.
The returning Christy Toye lined out at full-forward for the home side. He was involved in both of the first scores. Assisting to Hugh O’Donnell who earned the free-kick for Colm McFadden’s first score and then splitting the Gaoth Dobhair defence with a cross-field ball which Michael Cannon pointed.
Lee McColgan and Andrew Kelly added on two more giving St Michaels the ideal start. It took Gaoth Dobhair ten minutes to get started and it was through the lively Naoise Boyle that they got their first of the afternoon.
Colm McFadden was at the forefront of most of the good attacks St Michaels produced. He added his second of the game from a tight angle whilst coming down the left-hand side of the field.
For the next ten minutes Gaoth Dobhair turned the switch, two points each from the inside forwards, Cassidy and Gavin McBride. The sides exchanged scores in quick succession before both had goal chances.
Firstly Dean McColgan saved from James Carroll after the Gaoth Dobhair man drove forward. Then Christopher Sweeney had to be smart to deny Colm McFadden after the forward smashed a quick free-kick towards goal.
Andrew Kelly and Niall Friel shared scores before Friel added another to put the away side in the lead. McBride and Cassidy knocked over two more scores but Ruairi Friel found acres of space down the right-hand side of the Gaoth Dobhair defence and fired over the bar.
Just before half-time Cassidy got another, this time from a free-kick. In a position not too different to his score against Kildare in 2011, the Gaoth Dobhair man split the posts with his kick off the right-foot.
Substitute Sean Boyle fisted over the first of the second-half for Gaoth Dobhair but Michael Cannon did quickly respond with his second point of the day.
Like Cannon, Sean Boyle added his second point soon after. The forward used the wind to draw in his effort from the left hand side and the ball sailed over.
Andrew Kelly and Colm McFadden hit scores for the home side, the second a delightful free-kick from McFadden from over 45 metres out. Daniel McLaughlin and McBride exchanged scores to leave it 0-12 to 0-14 in favour of Gaoth Dobhair mid-way through the second-half.
McFadden and McBride hit scores for their respected sides before Gaoth Dobhair ramped it up again. Naoise Boyle pulled a brilliant save out of Dean McColgan and the Micheal Carroll seen his effort beat McColgan but ricochet off crossbar and post with the ball somehow staying out of the goal.
Carroll did fist over on the next attack when bearing down on goal again but Lee McColgan responded with another well taken score.
Niall Friel got his third of the game before Jamie Hunter notched a fine score to leave it a two point game with two minutes to play.
But that was to be the last score St Michaels would manage. Eamon McGee broke forward in the final seconds of the game and smashed a low drive into the corner of the net to seal victory.
St Michaels: Dean McColgan, Jamie Hunter (0-1), Stephen Doak, Ruairi Friel (0-1), Michael Cannon (0-2), Ciaran Gallagher, Hugh O’Donnell, Liam Paul Ferry, Ciaran Kelly, Daniel McLaughlin (0-1), Colm McFadden (0-4, 2f), Lee McColgan (0-2), Odhran McFadden, Christy Toye (0-1), Andrew Kelly (0-3 2f).
Gaoth Dobhair: Christopher Sweeney, Gary McFadden, Jamie Reynolds, James Boyle, Prionsais Gallagher, Niall Friel (0-3), Neasan McBride, Peter McGee, Micheal Carroll (0-1), James Carroll, Naoise Boyle (0-1), Sean Cundy, Gavin McBride (0-5 4f), Kevin Cassidy (0-5 1f), Eamon McGee (1-0). Subs used: Shaun Boyle (0-2) for Peter McGee, HT.
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