14-man Naomh Conaill hit late points to beat Na Dúnaibh in breezy conditions

Naomh Conaill just about got over the line with three points in added time against Downings in Páirc na nDúnaibh in their rescheduled round three fixture.

A huge breeze in their favour, the Glenties-based side hit early two pointers from Brendan McDyer and John O’Malley, but Downings hit the net through Cian McBride and Paddy McElwee to keep them level on 21 minutes as Jeaic MacCeallabhuí saw red for the visitors.

But another brace of two pointers from O’Malley and one from McDyer had them 0-14 to 2-0 ahead at the break.

Downings came back into it with Johnny McGroddy hitting four points from placed balls as it took Naomh Conaill 21 minutes to register a score despite three great goal chances.

And two pointers from Oisin Boyce and a McGroddy free levelled the game on 58 minutes.

But Eoghan McGettigan put his side ahead and two more scores from Odhran Doherty sealed a second win of the campaign for Martin Regan’s men.

The sole Senior Football Championship game taking place this weekend, the game was due to be played the previous week, but the tragic death of former Na Dúnaibh underage clubman Tristan Cullen.

With the severe breeze going towards the clubhouse goals, Naomh Conaill knew they would have to rack up a healthy lead in the first half, and first championship starts for Kieran Gallagher and the returning Ethan O’Donnell were a help.

A first attempt of the game ended in a two pointer from Brendan McDyer out on the left as he curled over on his left.

But straight after this, the Downings men hit the net. A good team move saw Paidin Shiels and Gary Ban McClafferty play a 1-2, with Shiels then finding Cian McBride, who palmed in from close range.

John O’Malley responded at the other end with another two pointer, a laces effort from the right, while McDyer curled over a close-range point as O’Malley was fouled.

Jeaic MacCeallabhuí kicked over from a tight angle on the right, and as Naomh Conaill countered as Anthony Thompson turned the ball over, they had numbers advancing, but couldn’t get a shot at goal as McDyer blasted over and it came back out off the post.

They again tried a neat ball over the Downings defence as Odhran Doherty looked for MacCeallabhuí, but ‘keeper Jordan Nugent got there first and as he got rid of the ball and went down from the tackle by MacCeallabhuí, play was stopped soon after and following a consultation with his assistants, referee Mark Dorrian showed the county panellist a red card.

It got even better for the hosts when they hit the net again, a sweeping move starting with Nugent, to Oisin Boyce and into  Ronan Gallagher, who made ground as did Shiels, who laid it off to McElwee and he found the net.

Naomh Conaill did respond to that setback and a two pointer from O’Malley out on the right was followed by two points from Eoghan McGettigan, the second from a free.

O’Malley then kicked a two pointer on his left and McDyer fired over from outside the arc in added time for a 0-14 to 2-0 lead.

And while Maxi Curran’s side had a third goal chance, again for McBride, Stephen McGrath saved well to keep that eight point lead.

The second half began well for Downings, Johnny McGroddy kicking a two point free in the first minute.

They almost had another goal when McBride’s effort was dropping into the top corner and McGrath got a fingertip to it, Callum Cullen picking up the possession close to goal and blasting over. 

McGroddy hit another two frees after to bring it to a three point game, but Naomh Conaill will have been kicking themselves not to get a goal, first as Finnbarr Roarty fired low and wide before his next chance was blocked by a defender after a good pass from Kieran Gallagher. 

Their third chance for goal came through McDevitt again, finding Ethan O’Donnell who had a two-on-one, but Cian McBride was back to brilliantly make a huge tackle. 

McBride then won the kick out and found McElwee who curled over, while Naomh Conaill got their first score of the half on 51 minutes through a McDyer free and McGettigan soon added to that with a fisted effort. 

Johnny McGroddy hit a two point free on 58 minutes, and a minute later Oisin Boyce kicked from play outside the arc to level the game. 

The kickout was won by the visitors, and Shay Malone raced forward and laid off to McGettigan to point.

But Downings could have went ahead as they got a free outside the 45 and McGroddy tried his luck, but it sailed wide.

Two big points in added time then came from county panellist Odhran Doherty, first after a neat 1-2 with O’Malley, and the second from the left on 64 minutes to put them three up and essentially take the win, as McElwee missed a two point attempt at the other end.

Na Dúnaibh scorers: Johnny McGroddy 0-6,2tpf,Paddy McElwee 1-1; Cian McBride 1-0; Oisin Boyce 0-2,1tp; Callum Cullen 0-1.

Naomh Conaill scorers: John O’Malley 0-6,3tp; Brendan McDyer 0-6,2tp,2f; Eoghan McGettigan 0-4,1f; Odhran Doherty 0-2; Jeaic MacCeallabhuí 0-1.

Na Dúnaibh: Jordan Nugent; Alex Gerwatowski, Tiernan McBride, Pauric McGinty; Páidin Shiels, Ronan Gallagher, Shane Coll, Oisin Boyce, Cian McBride; Ronan Pasoma, Johnny McGroddy, Paul McGroddy; Callum Cullen, Paddy McElwee, Gary Bán McClafferty.

Subs: Danny McBride for Coll (43), Allen Pasoma, Conor Boyce and Kyle McFadden for R Pasoma, Cullen and McClafferty (56).

Naomh Conaill: Stephen McGrath; Ultan Doherty, AJ Gallagher, Kevin McGettigan; Ethan O’Donnell, Anthony Thompson, Finnbarr Roarty; Kieran Gallagher, Jeaic MacCeallabhuí; Brendan McDyer, John O’Malley, Odhran Doherty; Mark McDevitt, Charlie McGuinness, Eoghan McGettigan.

Subs: Shay Malone for Thompson (48), Dermot Molloy for McDevitt (58), Logan Quinn for K McGettigan (63). 

Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gaeil Fhánada).