Whoever said defensive football had become a scourge of the game ought to have been in Ballybofey where 11 goals were netted in a madcap senior championship quarter-final.
Gaoth Dobhair 8-13 Bundoran 3-12
By Chris McNulty at Sean MacCumhaill Park
Gaoth Dobhair scored eight of the goals to win by 16 points to reach the semi-finals.
Dáire Ó Baoill (2), Niall Friel, Kevin Cassidy, Naoise Ó Baoill, Eamon Collum, Cian Mulligan and James Carroll all hit the net for a rampant Gaoth Dobhair.
If they were comfortable winners they’ll be a tad concerned at having shipped 3-10, including goals from Tommy Hourihane, Gary Clancy and Peter McGonigle. That being said, it was a consequence of an extremely open affair but one that Gaoth Dobhair were in complete control of.
Bundoran’s tally would’ve been enough to win most games (3-12 would have beaten all of the other teams in senior championship action in Donegal this weekend) but there was never a time where an upset was on the cards.
Gaoth Dobhair showed no mercy, steering in six second-half goals to win by a landslide, though the margin could and should have been greater.
Bundoran had to line out without their regular goalkeeper, Ashley Mulhern, and were also without the presence of Diarmuid McCaughey, both of whom were unavailable as they are out of the country. The absence of both lengthened further the odds on Francie Martin’s team causing an upset.
Martin noted during the week that his team would have to stay in the game for as long as possible – but when Niall Friel got in for a Gaoth Dobhair after only six minutes, that plan was up in smoke.
Friel’s finish was clinical, sliding low and hard past Conor Carty, the replacement netminder, after an excellent move that involved Eamonn Collum and Neil McGee.
It was Gaoth Dobhair at their best, really: Powerful, incisive and at breakneck speed.
Gaoth Dobhair’s second goal came via a more direct route a minute from the end of the first period.
Kevin Cassidy plucked Micheál Carroll’s raking ball from the sky and having stepped aside Carty, the Bundoran man was penalised – harshly perhaps – for a foot block.
Carty touched Dáire Ó Baoill’s penalty onto the crossbar, but Ó Baoill smashed in the rebound.
They might have had another in the 23rd minute, but Cian Mulligan’s drive was blocked by the boot of Niall Dunne.
That arrived just after Naoise Ó Baoill polished off another sweeping move that had Eamon McGee and Odhrán Ferry-McFadden playing key roles.
With an eight-point buffer, Gaoth Dobhair were moving nicely through the gears without really being troubled.
Gaoth Dobhair have won their first Division 1 title since 2006 this year and are aiming to end a similar wait for Dr Maguire, following several frustrating summers out west.
Bundoran sneaked into the quarter-finals as Tommy Hourihane netted a 66th minute goal in Ardara last Sunday for the three-point win they needed. Hourihane almost got a goal back for the Stars of the Sea but, with a carbon copy of the move from last weekend, he was denied here by a brilliant block on the line by Odhrán Ferry-McFadden.
Hourihane did net three minutes into the second half, but by then Gaoth Dobhair had added their third.
Cassidy’s ball in found Eamon McGee, who handed off to Mac Naillais. His pass inside was perfect for Dáire Ó Baoill to slot in his second of the day and open up a 14-point lead.
Cassidy hammered in the fourth and it wasn’t long before Collum was wheeling away having found the roof the net with a goal that opened up the 14-point margin again.
Clancy converted a penalty after Neil McGee fouled Ciaran McCaughey but, within a minute, Naoise Ó Baoill slapped home to an unguarded net from a Carroll centre.
Even though Peter McGonigle finished for Bundoran’s third goal, Gaoth Dobhair scythed through as Mulligan worked a give-and-go to convert and, late in the game, James Carroll slotted in the eighth goal to send them firmly into the semis.
Gaoth Dobhair: Christopher Sweeney; Odhran McFadden-Ferry, Christopher McFadden, Neil McGee (0-1); Gary McFadden, Kieran Gillespie, Dáire Ó Baoill (2-0); Kevin Cassidy (1-0), Micheál Carroll (0-1); Niall Friel (1-1), Eamon McGee (0-1), Naoise Ó Baoill (1-1); Eamonn Collum (1-4, 2f), Odhrán Mac Niallais (0-2f). Subs: James Carroll (1-0) for Cassidy (39), Seaghan Ferry for M.Carroll (47), Peter McGee for D.Ó Baoill (47), Dan McBride for Gillespie (56), Gavin McBride (0-1f) for Collum (56), Conor McCafferty for Friel (59).
Bundoran: Conor Carty; Matthew Ward, Peter McGonigle (1-0), Alan Russell; Paul Brennan (0-3), Pauric Rooney, Paul Murphy; Ciaran McCaughey, Shane McGowan; Niall Dunne, Michael McEniff (0-1), Gary Clancy (1-3, 2f, 1 ’45); Timmy Govorov (0-1), Tommy Hourihane (1-2), Jamie Brennan. Subs: Diarmuid Spratt for Dunne (43), Matthew Duffy for Govorov (49), Brian McHenry (0-1) for Russell (49), Shaun Gilmartin for Rooney (57).
Referee: James Connors (St Eunan’s).
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