Gaoth Dobhair come good late on to beat Four Masters and make the SFC semi-final

Three late scores in the final five minutes was all Gaoth Dobhair needed to come from behind and take a two-point lead as they advanced to the semi-final of the Donegal SFC with a victory over Four Masters on Sunday in MacCumhaill Park.

It will be argued that it may be a year or two too early for this Donegal Town side but they put in a gallant effort to take the lead into the final quarter, but the excellence of players like Eamonn Collum, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde and Micheál Roarty to name a few was the catalyst the Gaeltacht men needed to advance to the semi-final where they will now face St Eunan's.

Sunday's quarter-final was far from quality football for the purists, but both teams did well breaking out of their defensive positions and driving at each other's backline, producing some fine scores in the process.

Conor Reid opened the scoring in the opening 53 seconds when he sailed over a marvelous point from distance in what we hoped paved the way for an exciting encounter. 

Masters were controlled on the ball and looked the more calm as Gaoth Dobhair struggled to settle in early as Aaron McCrea doubled his side's lead minutes later from a fisted point.  

Gaoth Dobhair's star man of the afternoon Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde would land his side's first point on the ninth minute as the boys in green finally settled into the game despite both side's hitting a number of poor wides and short balls into the 'keeper's hands.

Daire Ó Baoill and Eoin de Burca joined the scoring threat, landing some fine points from distance, but they would not hit another score over for 10 minutes - just before half time - while in the meantime, Four Masters were gifted two fine points, first from Alex McCalmont who sailed the ball between the post, while Seanán Carr hit a close-in free following a clumsy foul on Patrick Reid.

Stephen McFadden would hit the score of the game when he shot off his right on the edge of the 'D' when under pressure from two Four Masters defenders, as he leveled the game 0-4 to 0-4 at the break.

The quality of 'on the ball' decision-making and shooting really fell away in the second half with Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde not opening the second-half scoring until the 41st minute. 

But an injection of pace and precision pacing eventually paid off for Four Masters with Richard O'Rourke pointing from distance, before Seanán Carr hit over from a close free, while Joe Leape hit their final point of the game on the 48th minute, but at that stage, Masters had a one-point lead.

But despite some solid defending from Callum McCrea and Dylan Kennedy who cleaned up some superb long ball in their backline, the Gaeltacht men hit back and opened the Masters' defence, with Collum scoring from distance while Ó Baoill added his second.

They had a goal disallowed when Cian Mac an tSaoi rounded Ryan Haughey in the nets, but Mark Dorrian blew for a double bounce. 

But at that stage, it was all Gaoth Dobhair, with Masters failing to conjure up a final score as the boys in green shut up shop, before landing a final Ethan Harkin free in the dying moments to win the game.

Gaoth Dobhair scorers: Eamonn Collum, Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde and Dáire Ó Baoill 0-2 each; Ethan Harkin 0-1, 1f; Eoin de Burca and Stephen McFadden 0-1 each.
Four Masters scorers: Seanán Carr 0-2, 2fs; Conor Reid, Aaron McCrea, Alex McCalmont, Richard O'Rourke, and Joe Leape 0-1 each.

Gaoth Dobhair: Daithí Roberts; Aodán Breahtnach, Gary McFadden, Danny Curran; Stephen Donna McFadden, Niall Friel, Neasán Mac Giolla Bhríde; Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde, Micheál Roarty; Fionnán Coyle, Eamonn Collum, Adam McGeever; Eoin de Búrca, Dáire Ó Baoill, Ethan Harkin. Subs: Fiachra Coyle for McGeever (42); Cathal Espey for Coyle (45); Cian Mac an tSaoi for Neasa Mac Giolla Bhride (53).

Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Callum McCrea, Dylan Kennedy, Brian Fegan; Aaron McCrea, David Monaghan, Caolan Loughney; Oisin Reid, Patrick Reid; Conor Reid, Senan Quinn, Richard O'Rourke; Seanán Carr, Killian Faulkner, Alex McCalmont. Subs: Jamie Crawford and Joe Leape for Quinn and Faulkner (42); Jason Duignan for Patrick Reid (45); Aidan McHugh for Fegan (52). 

Referee: Mark Dorrian