Gaoth Dobhair bypass MacCumhaills to reach U-21A decider

Gaoth Dobhair have set up an U-21 A football final clash with Termon after they seen off the challenge of MacCumhaills.

Gaoth Dobhair 1-12 MacCumhaills 0-9

Christopher McFadden’s lads had six points to spare in the end but, truth be told, it took until the 50th minute before they finally got to grips with a Joel Bradley Walsh inspired MacCumhaills.

The county senior panelist booted seven of his team’s nine points in Convoy while up the other end, Cathal Mac Giolla Easpaig kicked a fine individual tally of 0-6 for the winners. 

MacCumhaills had opened the scoring inside the first 40 seconds as Kevin McCormick used the breeze in his back to let fly from distance. 

Gaoth Dobhair, however, soon squared it up on three minutes when Cathal Mac Giolla Easpaig supplied the right end product to a fine and patient move. The Magheragallon lads then got their noses in front for the first time thanks to a superbly converted ‘45 into the mouth of the breeze. 

In what was fast developing into a real pendulum-swinging contest, MacCumhaills went straight down the other side and levelled matters up, at two apiece, through Joel Bradley Walsh, on seven minutes. 

Either side of the quarter hour mark, Bradley Walsh really made his presence felt with successive overs. First, he cut in along the right end line but his attempted square to the lurking Fionn McNulty just had a little too much elevation on it and it crept over the bar. 

Moments later, after MacCumhaills turned over the subsequent kickout, the same player arched over a ridiculous effort point as he sliced brilliantly with the outside of the left. 

Gaoth Dobhair needed to lift efforts and  they did just that, rattling off three points on the bounce themselves through Cian Mac an tSaoi, Mac Roibeard (free) and Cathal Mac Giolla Easpaig to edge 0-5 to 0-4 in front by the 20-minute mark. 

Both sides were guilty of booting a number of poor wides at either end before Cathal Mac Giolla Easpaig finally ended the drought with his third of the night as the leaders went two clear a minute out from the break. 

The second-half was only up and running when MacCumhaills Conor McGinty’s lobbed effort for a point bounced back off the crossbar. On 33 minutes, Alex McGeehan cut the deficit in half with a neat clip. 

But a careless cough up of possession  by the Twin Towns outfit immediately gifted Gaoth Dobhair their two-point cushion back as 0-7 led 0-5. Bradley Walsh converted his fourth point, a free from the hands, to once again leave the minimum between the teams. 

Gaoth Dobhair then stole a real march as Eoin De Burca and Cathal De Burca combined well and while the latter’s effort was well saved by Cian Gallen, Cian Mac Giolla Bhríde was on hand to tap home from close range. 

Things got even better for Gaoth Dobhair when Eoin De Burca moved them five clear at 1-8 to 0-6. Bradley Walsh and Stiofan Mac Phaidín traded efforts and the deficit remained the same passing the 42nd minute. 

Termon leave it all on the line to edge out St Eunan's in U-21A semi-final

Termon managed to seal a place in the final of the U-21A Championship with a narrow win over St Eunan's in a contest that went down to the wire in Glenswilly

MacCumhaills pulled it back to four once again as the contest drifted towards the fourth and final quarter as Bradley Walsh landed another routine free. And - going into the final ten minutes - Bradley Walsh nailed his seventh as the gap was trimmed to a single green flag at 1-9 to 0-9.  

However, Cathal Mac Giolla Easpaig was again the man steadying things for Gaoth Dobhair late on as he lobbed over a pair of points, one from play and one from a free, to once again make it a five-point contest, bang on 60 minutes. 

To erase any lingering doubt, Stiofan Mac Phaidín pushed Gaoth Dobhair out to 1-12 before the final whistle. 

In the dying seconds, Bradley Walsh did smash a late and desperate effort off the upright. However, it was Gaoth Dobhair that deservingly held on to advance to the decider. 

Gaoth Dobhair scorers: Cathal Mac Giolla Easpaig 0-6,1f; Cian Mac Giolla Bhríde 1-0; Daithí Mac Roibeard 0-2,1’45,1f; Stiofan Mac Phaidín 0-2; Cian Mac an tSaoi 0-1; Eoin De Burca 0-1. 
MacCumhaIlls scorers: Joel Bradley Walsh 0-7,3f; Kevin McCormick 0-1; Alex McGeehan 0-1.

Gaoth Dobhair: Daithí Mac Roibeard; Sean Mac Phaidín, Sean Ó Gallchóir, Aodhan Breathnach; Cian Mac an tSaoi, Dáire Ó Fearraigh, Cathal De Burca; Domhnaill Mac Giolla Bhríde, Stíofan Mac Phaidín; Cian Mac Giolla Bhríde, Fionnan Mac Giolla Chomhaill, Cathal Mac Giolla Easpaig; Stiofan Mac Phaidín, Eoin De Burca, Jamie Ó Dochartaigh. Subs: Fiachra Mac Giolla Chomaill for Cian Mac Giolla Bhríde (38). 

MacCumhaills: Cian Gallen; Alan Sproule, Pete Byrne, Eoin McGonagle; Cian Mulligan, Aaron Gillooley, Sean Martin; Jack Duffy, Fionn McNulty; Conor McCormick, Conor McGinty, Conor Doherty; Alex McGeehan, Joel Bradley Walsh, Kevin McCormick. Subs: Dylan Doherty for C Doherty (ht), Sean Breen for C McCormick (38), Josh McMenamin for J Duffy (55).

Referee: Marc Brown (Four Masters).