Gaoth Dobhair on their way to Comórtas decider after victory over Gleann tSúilí

Gaoth Dobhair will face Cill Chartha in Monday’s Comórtas Peil na Gaeltachta senior final following their four-point semi-final win over Gleann tSúilí in Falcarragh.

A Niall Friel goal ten minutes from time finally settled what was a closely contested and, at times, feisty encounter that had the good-sized crowd at St Finian’s Park on their toes from the first whistle. 

Gaoth Dobhair were ahead by three points, 0-8 to 0-5, at half-time with Michéal Roarty, Ethan Harkin and Adam Mac Iomair kicking the points.

Jack Gallagher, Michael Murphy, Christopher McMonagle, Kealan Dunleavy and Jack Gallagher kicked the Gleann tSúili points. 

The sides were level three times in the first half after Cathal Gillespie, Gallagher and Murphy as well as Ethan Harkin and Adam Mac Iomhair traded points. 

Level at 0-5 each midway the first period, Gaoth Dobhair finished the half strong with points from Mac Iomhair (2) and Harkin to take a three-point advantage to the dressing room at the halfway mark.  

Glean tSúilí came all fired up on the resumption and thanks to points from Murphy, Eoghan Scott and Gallagher they had drawn level at 0-9 each by 40 minutes. 

Gaoth Dobhair then flexed their muscle to post four unanswered points in the space of five minutes to move to a 0-13 to 0-9 lead by the 50th minute.  

But there was still life in Gleann tSúilí until Friel as he had done on a number of occasions to get on the end of a sweeping move to drill to the back of the Glean tSúilí net. 

Gaoth Dobhair now led 1-13 to 0-9 with time running out but Glean tSúilí battled on. And driven on by Donal and Jack Gallagher, Dunleavy, Scott and Murphy they finished strong to trim the Gaoth Dobhair lead back to four. 

It was just a case of Friel’s three-pointer that gave them too big a mountain to climb.

Gaoth Dobhair scorers:  Ethan Harkin 0-3,1f; Cathal Gillespie 0-3,2f,1m; Niall Friel 1-0; Michael Roarty, Adam Mac Iomhair  0-2 each; Cian McEntee, Aodhan Breathnach, Danny Curran, Stephen Donna McFadden 0-1.

Glean tSúilí scorers: Donal Gallagher 0-3; Michael 0-3,2f; Jack Gallagher 0-2; Christopher McMonagle, Kealan Dunleavy, Eoghan Scott, Daithi Gildea, Christopher McMonagle 0-1 each. 

Glean tSúilí: Oisin McGrenra; Jake Kelly, Shane McDaid, Mikey Toner; Donal Gallagher, Jack Gallagher, Sean Collum; Kealan Dunleavy, Michael Murphy; Sean Wogan, Eoghan Scott, Aidan Friel; Gary Kelly, Christopher McMonagle, Daithi Gildea.

Subs; Darragh Enright for S Wogan, Oran Cannon for M Toner (both h/t); Ruairi Crawford for S McDaid (47). 

Gaoth Dobhair: Daithi Roberts; Eamonn Mac Giolla Bhride, Danny Curran, Sean Fearghal Delaney; Cathal de Burca, Niall Friel, Aidan Breathnach; Sean Doherty, Ciaran Gillespie; Cian McEntee, Stephen Donna McFadden, Micheál Roarty; Ethan Harkin, Adam Mac Iomhair Cathal Gillespie.

Subs: Sean Gallagher for C Gillespie and Fionnan Coyle for C De Burca (both 40); Peter McGee for S Doherty (50).  

Referee: Robbie O’Donnell (Naomh Muire, Lower Rosses)