SEVEN POINTS FROM Odhrán MacNiallais were pivotal to Gaoth Dobhair’s All-County Football League Division 1 win against St Eunan’s this afternoon.
Gaoth Dobhair 2-11 St Eunan’s 1-11
MacNiallais was in fine form throughout against the Letterkenny side, with Eamon McGee and Mannie Gallagher grabbing goals in either half for the home team.
St Eunan’s, meanwhile, went down to a first defeat of the season despite Rory Kavanagh grabbing a goal three points from play in the opening half.
Barry Meehan’s team were fortunate not to concede a goal on only seven minutes. Gaoth Dobhair wing-back Proinsais Gallagher pinched a short kick-out from Matthew Gallagher – intended for Brian MacIntyre – and broke through on goal only to shoot wide.
Played on the old pitch at Magheragallon, it took the hosts a little while to find their range. After posting four wides to begin with though, by the 15th minute they were 0-4 to 0-1 to the good.
James Gallagher, who enjoyed a fine game throughout, opened the scoring and was joined on the scoreboard by McGee – sporting white boots and playing at full-forward – and two MacNiallias efforts.
McGee grabbed the opening goal of the contest from his new abode when he beat St Eunan’s goalkeeper Matthew Gallagher to the punch following James Gallagher’s ball in on 16 minutes. That put Gaoth Dobhair 1-4 to 0-1 up.
On 21 minutes, however, St Eunan’s fashioned a fine goal themselves. Following a flowing move that involved Eamonn Doherty and Conor Gibbons, Kavanagh was freed and drove underneath Christopher Sweeney.
Two Gibbons scores and one from Kavanagh soon followed and Gaoth Dobhair’s lead had been trimmed from six to one, 1-5 to 0-4, with Conor Boyle having scored the only point for those in green during that spell.
But they came to life again towards the end of the half, with Niall Friel scoring a great point from the right and MacNiallais splitting the posts with two frees into an awkward breeze.
At half-time, Gaoth Dobhair were 1-8 to 1-5 ahead.
Lee McMonagle in the St Eunan’s full-forward line passed up on a 32nd minute chance to draw the sides level when goalkeeper Sweeney saved his rebounded shot after a pop from Gibbons rebounded down from the upright.
Then, on 35 minutes, Gaoth Dobhair were awarded a penalty after Sean Hensey was penalised for a foul on McGee.
MacNiallais, after a bit of a debate on where the ball should be placed for the spot kick, saw his penalty hit the post but Mannie Gallagher, a half-time substitute, scored a goal from the rebound.
A MacNiallais 45 and another eye-catching score from the same player’s left boot made it 2-10 to 1-5.
St Eunan’s did improve towards the end, with Gibbons, Darragh Mulgrew and Patrick McGowan all scoring. Gaoth Dobhair had built a strong enough lead by then and held onto win by three points.
Gaoth Dobhair: Christopher Sweeney; James Ó Baoill, Gary McFadden, Jamie Reynolds; Odhrán Ferry, Niall Friel (0-1), Proinsais Gallagher; Odhrán MacNiallais (0-7, 2f, 45), Micheal McKelvey; Peter McGee, James Gallagher (0-1), Conor McCafferty; Conor Boyle (0-1), Eamon McGee (1-1), Daniel McLaughlin. Subs: Mannie Gallagher for McLaughlin (half-time), Dylan O’Donnell for Boyle (52).
St Eunan’s: Matthew Gallagher; Daire McWalters, Sean Hensey, Conor Parke (0-1); Brian MacIntyre, Eamonn Doherty, Mark Forde; Darragh Mulgrew (0-2), John Haran; Conor Gibbons (0-3, 2f), Rory Kavanagh (1-3), Cillian Morrison; Michael Miller, Patrick McGowan (0-2, 2f), Lee McMonagle. Conor Harley for McMonagle (45).
Referee: Mark Brown (Four Masters)
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