Niall Friel relishes redemption over Four Masters with quarter-final win

Gaoth Dobhair captain Niall Friel takes great pleasure in knowing that his side was able to turn around last month’s defeat to Four Masters to claim a two-point win over the Donegal Town men on Sunday evening in MacCumhaill Park. 

Despite losing by eight points to Kevin Sinclair’s side back in August in the opening round of the championship, the Gaeltacht men recovered well for the second meeting between these two sides to see themselves to a 0-9 to 0-7 point victory and through to the last four of the SFC championship. 

And while Friel and his team know that they’ll have a lot to work on, having already lost two games in this year’s championship, they’ll take great confidence having come from behind late on against Four Masters to eke out a win. 

With Dungloe, St Eunan’s and St Michael’s already through in what many are deeming shock quarter-final results, Gaoth Dobhair were adamant not to make it four upsets in one weekend. 

“The way the weekend went we just knew we had to get the job done,” Friel told Donegal Live following his side’s win.  

“We saw the way that the three other quarter-finals all ended in a one-point game, and we knew after losing to Four Masters at the start of the championship, it was going to be another hard-fought battle. 

“Great credit has to go to our defence, considering it was a day when the forwards weren’t firing. On another day we could’ve had more scores but thankfully we got two late points at the end to get us over the line.” 

Having lost to Masters at the start of the championship, it was no doubt a game that the boys in blue were going into brimming with confidence, but Friel acknowledges that his side has still not done themselves full justice so far this year in the competition but are building game-on-game 

“We know Four Masters are a good team and deserved to be in a quarter-final spot, but I don’t think we did ourselves justice against them in the opening round, even though they were the better team that day,” he said. 

“So, this quarter-final, we had to be fully focused, and I think we were. The extra game last weekend I think helped us build and get our act together.  

“I know people will argue for the week break, but I think that extra game against MacCumhaill’s last week made us more comfortable on the ball and was probably a big factor in helping us see the game out today.” 

In a first half that saw Four Masters dominate in terms of possession, Gaoth Dobhair could count their blessings having gone in at the break 0-4 each with Friel and his side knowing that they had not got up to full speed up until that point. 

“We weren’t particularly happy at halftime,” he said. “We had a lot of sloppy turnovers and Four Masters were getting long shots away that were working for them. 

“We were nearly thinking that it was going to be one of those days for Four Masters, in that everything they were kicking was going over, while we just could not get going up front, but thankfully we got the important scores at the end and kicked two points late on.” 

With Gaoth Dobhair set to meet St Eunan’s in the semi-final next weekend, it leaves it for a lively last four, with all teams fully confident that they could claim championship glory.  

“The way the media is going to talk they will focus on ourselves and St Eunan’s but I think St Michael’s and Dungloe will be licking their lips knowing they have such a great chance, and one they might not get again,” Friel said. 

“That’s no disrespect to the two teams, but no doubt they’re sitting at home loving the fact that they have a great chance of getting to a final. 

“St Eunan’s will be hot favourites after beating Naomh Conaill but I think all four teams left in this championship will be confident that they can win the Dr Maguire this season. 

“We got to the county final last season where we didn’t do ourselves justice. I think if you told us at the start of last season that we would make a final, we probably wouldn’t have believed it because we have a lot of young lads on the team. 

“And we add that to the calibre of players we’ve lost like Cian Mulligan, Micheal Carroll, Neil McGee, Ciaran Gillespie, Eamon McGee, players like that.  

“You take those players out of any team, then there is going to be a lull in the club, but thankfully we’re still working hard at underage and we’re happy to be where we’re at.”