REIGNING ALL-IRELAND Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta champions Naomh Conaill recovered from a nightmare start to overcome Belmullet in Ballyvourney this afternoon.
Naomh Conaill 1-15 Belmullet 2-6
The side managed by Martin Regan and Martin Doherty found themselves trailing 2-1 to 0-0 after just nine minutes but clicked into gear to win by six points at Páirc Íosagáin in Cork.
It means another outing this evening at 7:30pm against Wolfe Tones from Meath in the quarter-finals.
Naomh Conaill are the only Donegal representatives in the senior competition as Ardara didn’t travel as a mark of respect to the late Thomas Maguire, who passed away.
Two first half points apiece from Dermot Molloy, John O’Malley and Daragh Gallagher, as well as one from Kevin McGettigan, helped the Donegal SFC winners to start their comeback this afternoon against a Belmullet team from Mayo who had won the competition themselves as recently as 2010 – when they defeated Ardara in the final at home.
At half-time Naomh Conaill trailed by two points, 2-2 to 0-7.
[adrotate group=”37″]Naomh Conaill continued to press in the second half with Jamie McHugh’s goal putting them 1-11 to 2-3 in front. The second half point scorers were Charles McGuinness, Joe Kennedy, Brendan McDyer, Michael Gallagher while Molloy and Gallagher added two more.
Naomh Conaill: Stephen McGrath; Aaron Thompson, Cathal Ellis, Logan Quinn; Ultan Doherty, Eunan Doherty, Marty Boyle; Mark Gallagher (0-1), Charles McGuinness (0-1); Daragh Gallagher (0-4), Dermot Molloy (0-4), James Doherty; Paul McGuinness, Joe Kennedy, John O’Malley (0-2). Subs used: Seamus Corcoran, Brendan McDyer (0-1), Kevin McGettigan (0-2), Stephen Molloy, Jamie McHugh (1-0), Dermot Ward.
Meanwhile in the junior competition, Downings, who were beaten All-Ireland finalists last year against the Aran Islands in Ardara, defeated Cill Chomáin in Páirc Abán Naofa, 3-12 to 2-5.
[adrotate group=”60″]Lorcan Connor scored 2-3, while Seamus McBride grabbed a goal and a point and Gary McClafferty accounted for three points.
Downings, who were 1-6 to 1-2 ahead at half-time, take on Cork’s Cill Na Martra who overcame Meath’s Clann na nGael 4-8 to 2-5, in the quarter-final this evening at 7:30pm.
There is no senior competition in the ladies section, so Donegal Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta champions Glenfin did not make the trip south.
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