Gaoth Dobhair smash and grab brings U-21A joy to leave Glenswilly heartbroken

Super sub Cronan McFadden was the hero of the hour as his two late points in injury time snatched victory for Gaoth Dobhair in a titanic tussle in the U-21A final against Glenswilly in O’Donnell Park. 

Gaoth Dobhair 0-11 Glenswilly 0-9 

But this was larceny on a stellar scale as gallant Glenswilly led by a point with time up on the clock and were the better side for most of this compelling affair. 

They were deservedly leading by two points on a score of 0-9 to 0-7 three minutes from time when in a lightning turnover Glenswilly won a 25-metre free almost in front of the Gaoth Dobhair goals.  But the excellent Kealan Dunleavy hit the ball wide and you could almost hear the groan from the huge Glenswilly crowd. 

Gaoth Dobhair - who had been outplayed for 90 per cent of this magnificent battle - went all out and were rewarded when Aodan Breathnach levelled the match after an exquisite move. 

The momentum had been with the hot favourites for the final quarter, and they surged forward again in injury time.  And, in two sweeping moves McFadden slotted over the winning points with deadly precision in three minutes of added time. 

So it was elation for the smash-and-grab winners and utter dejection for a superbly drilled Glenswilly side managed by Aidy Glackin.  Last year’s U-21 B champions were smaller and lighter than Gaoth Dobhair their initial high press and some snappy early scores set the tone for most of the match. 

Time and again Gaoth Dobhair were prevented from scoring by diving blocks from the Glenswilly defence. 

And they hit six wides in that jittery opening half by a much livelier Glenswilly all of whose scores came from the explosive full forward line of Emmet O’ Boyle, Eoghan Scott and Dunleavy. 

Gaoth Dobhair played through the pain and eventually prevailed when it really mattered.  Glenswilly can hold their heads high as they put on a memorable exhibition of football that would normally have merited victory.  This is no normal Gaoth Dobhair side as they are now Donegal U-21A champions for the second year in a row.  

Glenswilly took off like a hurricane as they swept down the field and put the Gaoth Dobhair defence under severe pressure. Dunleavy won a mark and put his side into an early lead, and this was added to by Eoghan Scott as Gaoth Dobhair looked hesitant and sluggish. 

It took Gaoth Dobhair a few minutes to get their hands on the ball and Johnnie McBride landed a free for Gaoth Dobhair.

Eoin De Burca, who was causing Glenswilly some problems, found the target for the Gaeltacht men as Glenswilly’s Oisin McDaid had to off injured and was replaced by Dylan McAteer. 

While the momentum was with the underdogs, they had a close shave when Gaoth Dobhair’s Stephen McFadden was put through by Adam McGeever but his shot just shaved the post. 

Johnnie McBride then put a free wide before the jinking Scott made it 0-4 to 0-2 after 15 minutes. Dunleavy’s pace and guile was causing Gaoth Dobhair major problems, and he converted a free to put Glenswilly ahead by 0-4 to 0-2. 

Gaoth Dobhair’s towering midfielder Domhnall Mac Giolla Bride was finding his rhythm, and he narrowed the gap. But Dunleavy landed another fine point as Gaoth Dobhair put on Cathal De Burca for Cian McBride. 

Gaoth Dobhair hit three wides as Glenswilly looked very sharp on the counterattack. The inevitable Dunleavy made it 0-6 to 0-3 at the break. 

Glenswilly settled swiftly and Dunleavy opened up a four-point gap after a clever pass from Scott. But they were to score only two more points in the second half as Gaoth Dobhair’s experience and power began to tell. 

Gaoth Dobhair then threw on Cronan McFadden for Daire Ferry as they reflected on six wides to Glenswily’s two. Still, it took them until the 44th minute to register a point from the impressive Aodhan Breathnach. 

McBride quickly added another to leave just two points between the sides. Gaoth were in the ascendancy as Cian McEntee nailed another point as the power and penetration began to stretch the Glenwilly defence. 

In a breakaway, Glenswilly almost had a goal when O’Boyle was free on the 14 metre line with Gaoth Dobhair keeper Daithi Roberts off his line. O’Boyle hesitated slightly and was fouled by two defenders with Dunleavy converting the free. 

It was all Gaoth Dobhair as Mac Giolla Bride hit the post and Glenswilly seemed to be heading for victory when Dunleavy landed another free to leave them 0-8 to 0-6 with victory almost assured. 

It looked virtually certain as Dunleavey lined up for what looked like a relatively simple 25-metre free. Heartbreakingly for Glenswilly the ball went wide as the increasingly influential Stephen McFadden levelled the match.

And magical McFadden hit those two precious points to assure victory for Gaoth Dobhair and understandable dejection for gallant Glenswilly. 

Gaoth Dobhair scorers: Johnny McBride 0-3,1f; Cronan McFadden and Aodhan Breathnach 0-2; Eoin De Burca, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde, Stephen McFadden 0-1; Cian McEntee 0-1.
Glenswilly scorers: Kealan Dunleavy 0-6,5f; Eoghan Scott 0-2; Emmett O’Boyle 0-1; 

Gaoth Dobhair: Daithi Roberts; Sean Noel McFadden, Sean Gallagher, Aidan Breathnach; Daire Ó Fearraigh, Adam Mac Íomhair, Johnny O'Donnell; Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde, Stephen McFadden; Cian McEntee, Fionnan Coyle, Cian McBride; Johnnie McBride; Eoin de Búrca, Jamie Doherty. Subs: Cathal de Búrca for C McBride (24), Cronan McFadden for Ó Fearraigh. 

Glenswilly: John Quinn; Oisin McDaid, Jake Kelly, Jamie McCauley; Gerard Shields, Mikey Toner, Donal Gallagher; Jack Gallagher, Sean Collum; Reid Kelly, Darragh Enright, Gary Kelly; Emmet O'Boyle, Eoghan Scott, Kealan Dunleavy. Subs: Dylan McAteer for McDaid (10), Oisin McGrenra for O'Boyle (58). 

Referee: James Connors (St Eunan’s)