A late goal by sub Alan McAteer, only on the pitch a matter of seconds, gave Gaeil Fhánada a dramatic quarter-final victory over fancied Downings.
Downings 0-11 Gaeil Fhanada 1-10
By Charlie Collins
We had a lively opening twenty minutes to the game at which time Gaeil Fhanada led by 0-05 to 0-04.
Paddy Carr gave them the lead in the first minute but Conor Boyce and Johnny McGroddy.
Seami Friel’s excellent score made it 0-2 apiece, and then Paddy McElwee restored Downings lead , but Bernard McGettigan and Oisin Shiels both scored from play to put Gaeil Fhanada ahead again only for Lorcan Conner to produce a super effort to level it up at 0-4 each.
James Kerr put the Fanad men ahead again in the 20th minute but the rest of the half belonged to Downings with points from Connor , McElwee , McGroddy and Conor Boyce to leave it 0-8 to 0-5 at the break.
The teams shared six points in the opening fifteen minutes of the second-half, Johnny McGroddy with all three for Downings, two frees and a 45, while Seami Friel and Liam Mc Grenaghan converted Gaeil Fhanada frees and McGrenaghan stroked over an excellent 45 , 0-11 to 0-08 to Downings.
McGrenaghan pointed again to leave two between them and then sub Alan McAteer, only on a few seconds finished off a sweeping Fanad move by blasting high in the roof of the net to give Gaeil Fhanada the lead for the first time since the 21st minute.
Deep into injury-time Oisin Shiels fisted over the game’s final score to leave it 1-10 to 0-11 points to Gaeil Fhanada and a last four place secured.
Downings: Aaron McClafferty , Max Davis , Ben McNutt , Ross Cullen , Keelan McGroddy, Kevin Doherty, Martin McBride , Oisin Boyce, Shane Boyce, Conor Boyce (0-2), Johnny McGroddy (0-5 /4f’s/45), James Lee McBride , Alan Pasoma , Lorcan Connor (0-02), Paddy McElwee (0-02).
Subs: Danny McBride for Davis (h/t) , Eric Roberts for McGroddy (58mins).
Gaeil Fhánada: Mark McConigley; Sean Kerr , Jimmy Coyle, Odhran Shiels , Darren McElwaine , Oisin Shiels (0-02), Ryan McGonigle , Paddy Carr (0-1), Bernard McGettigan (0-1), Mark McAteer, James Kerr (0-1), Eoghan Carr, Seami Friel (0-02), Michael Sweeney, Liam McGrenaghan ( 0-03/2f’s/45).
Subs: James Gallagher for Kerr (3mins), Paddy Heraghty for McGettigan (25mins), Conor Heraghty for Kerr (43mins), Alan McAteer (1-0), for Seami Friel (56mins).
Referee: Sean McDaid (Urris).