Naomh Conaill prevailed in a local derby with Dungloe to qualify for the U21 Championship semi-finals.
Dungloe 0-9 Naomh Conaill 0-10
When Dungloe, who had led by two at half-time, doubled that lead to four in the 8th minute of the second-half, it looked as if Naomh Conaill could be in trouble.
However senior squad members Nathan Byrne and Kieran Gallagher stepped up to share five points between them and full-back Odhran Doherty took advantage of Dungloe goalkeeper Jerome Boyle’s unwise solo run out the field to steer Naomh Conaill to a narrow one point victory and a semi-final clash with Killybegs.
After a slow start in terms of scores Naomh Conaill led by 0-03 to 0-01 after 17 minutes, Dylan Sweeney had opened for Dungloe but Paul McGuinness from play and two frees from Nathan Byrne had the visitors ahead.
Dungloe lost Daniel Ward to a second yellow card in the 22nd minute but responded brillantly to that set-back with four points in a row, three from Ryan Conners including two frees and another free from Oisín Bonner to leave it 0-05 to 0-03 at the break.
Sean McGee’s free made it a three point game in the 31st minute and Naomh Conaill were reduced to 14 men when Paul McGuinness got his second yellow two minutes later.
The visitors full-back Odhran Doherty came forward to show his forwards how it’s done with a super point from distance, but two quick Oisín Bonner points had Dungloe four ahead in the 38th minute.
Naomh Conaill hit back with points from play by Kieran Gallagher and Nathan Byrne and after a scoreless nine minute period the same players converted two frees to level the game up in the 50th minute at 0-08 apiece.
Full-back Odhran Doherty gave the visitors the lead with another fine point after Dungloe goalkeeper had carried the ball way outside his normal territory and got turned-over and Noamh Conaill led by a point in the 58th minute.
Ryan Conners was just wide from a long range free but Oisín Bonner converted from close-in to square the game yet again.
Three minutes into injury-time Nathan Byrne kept his nerve to knock over his 5th point of the game from a free on the right and that proved to be the winner.
In a final Dungloe push to send the game to extra-time Naomh Conaill’s Caolan McGill was black-carded for a trip tackle and following the melee that followed that incident, Dungloe’s Ryan Conners and Matthew O’Donnell along with Noamh Conaill’s Shea McDevitt all received red cards from an overworked referee Greg McCroary as the Glenties lads advanced to meet Killybegs in the last four.
Dungloe: Jerome Boyle, Chris Boyle, Jason McBride, Matthew O’Donnell, Dylan Boyle, Mark Curran, James McCole, Conor O’Donnell, Ryan Conners (0-3, 2f) , Daniel Ward , Oisin Bonner (0-4, 3f), Darragh Gallagher, Dylan Sweeney (0-1) , Sean McGee (0-1f), Chris Greene. Subs: Darren O Donnell for Gallagher (47mins), Aidan McCole for James McCole ( 50mins), Michael Ward for Dylan Sweeney ( 60mins).
Naomh Conaill: Jordan O Donnell, Cian Doherty, Odhran Doherty (0-2 ), Sean Roarty , Conor Doherty, Caolan McGill , Edward Moss, Kieran Gallagher (0-2, 1f ) , Tony Byrne, Leo Dunphy , Paul McGuinness ( 0-1 ), Caolan McMonagle , Shea McDevitt , Nathan Byrne ( 0-5, 4f), Logan Quinn. Subs: Joseph Shankey-Smith for Dunphy ( 40 mins ). Referee: Greg McGroary.
