St Eunan's edge their way past Gaoth Dobhair into SFC final by slimmest of margins

Two late Eoin Dowling points were the difference as St Eunan’s edged past Gaoth Dobhair and into the Donegal SFC final.

In a low-scoring affair, Dowling hit one from play and then a free - although the second of those would've been one that Hawkeye might've seen better. It was as close as the final score was. Shades of John O'Malley of Naomh Conaill's late winner in the three-game series of the 2019 final, with Gaoth Dobhair the opposition then too. 

Shaun Patton also made a vital late contribution. With his team two up and by no means home and hosed, the goalkeeper came from his line to reduce the angle to save from Gaoth Dobhair substitute Cathal Gillespie, who had been played in down the right by Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde. Just three minutes were left.

Dáire Ó Baoill cut that gap in half with a brilliant long-range free and Gaoth Dobhair as the clock went into injury time. St Eunan’s, though, held onto possession well for the most of the signalled two minutes and more, only to concede a late free.

Again it was Ó Baoill who stood over the ball on the 45 and towards the stand, almost four minutes in, only to see the ball fade just wide. And with that, St Eunans had won. No wild celebrations. Disappointment for Gaoth Dobhair. Margins as thin as you could imagine. 

The Letterkenny side edged out last year’s beaten finalists and can now overtake them with a 16th title, as the two clubs are top of the roll of honour right now.

Three Conor O’Donnell jnr frees helped St Eunan’s into a 0-5 to 0-3 half-time lead, with Eamonn Collum having opened the scoring for Gaoth Dobhair.

Niall O’Donnell and James Kelly got on the scoreboard to make it 0-4 to 0-2 on 15 minutes, before Micheál Roarty - who was popping up everywhere - scored the second of his two points. Conor Morrison was black-carded for dragging down Ó Baoill, although Gaoth Dobhair went into their 10 minutes of numerical advantage a point down and ended it two down.

Conor O’Donnell’s third free - on 21 minutes - was the only score from the 16th minute to half-time, with St Eunan’s taking their two-point lead in. Gaoth Dobhair’s main scoring threat, Ethan Harkin, was being made work hard for any scraps by Aaron Deeney.

With both teams having ground it out a week beforehand - St Eunan’s had Eoin McGeehin to thank for a late winner against Naomh Conaill, while Gaoth Dobhair saw off Four Masters - it was expected to be similarly tight.

Barry Meehan was wary of the Magheragallon team, who had won at O’Donnell Park 1-7 to 0-9 in the group stages of the competition last month, as well as coming away with a 1-12 to 1-6 success in Division 1 of the All-County Football League in May.

Although the faces might’ve been different, particularly in the first of those two engagements, Gaoth Dobhair had proved to be a tough nut to crack, sitting in defensively and working on the break from there. St Eunan's also knew it had been some time since they overcame the Gaeltacht side in the SFC, with their last win coming in the 2005 semi-final. 

McGeehin’s marked point on 37 minutes was the first score of part two, and Eoin de Búrca did the same at the other end a minute later Gaoath Dobhair were back to 0-6 to 0-4. By halfway through the second half, the contest was still very considered, without cutting loose.

However, when de Búrca scored again, 47 minutes in, a section of the crowd lifted and just afterwards, the other supporters - this time St Eunan’s - were to be heard with Dowling scoring. There was a zip to things and Stephen Donna McFadden managed to take Gaoth Dobhair back to just 0-7 to 0-6 down. They were keeping in touch as time ran down. 

Dowling’s free on 54, which took a second of two to be confirmed having drifted very close, was signalled over with St Eunan’s having already put half a dozen second-half wides and although Ó Baoill got Gaoth Dobhair close, that’s as near as they would get. Semi-finals, as they say, are for winning and St Eunan's managed that - just - but they made it over the line. 

St Eunan’s scorers: Conor O’Donnell Jnr 0-3, 3f; Eoin Dowling 0-2, 1f; Niall O’Donnell 0-1 and James Kelly 0-1; Eoin McGeehin 0-1, 1m.
Gaoth Dobhair scorers: Micheál Roarty 0-2; Eoin de Búrca 0-2, 1m; Eamonn Collum and Stephen Donna McFadden 0-1; Dáire Ó Baoill 0-1, 1f.

St Eunan’s: Shaun Patton; Aaron Deeney, Conor Morrison, Caolan Ward; Oran Winston, Conor O’Donnell snr, Kieran Tobin; Eoin Dowling, Ciaran Moore; Kevin Kealy, Shane O’Donnell, James Kelly; Eoin McGeehin, Niall O’Donnell, Conor O’Donnell. Subs: Pauric Boyle for O’Donnell jnr (47), Darragh Mulgrew and Lee McMoangle for Winston and Kealy (52), Eamonn Doherty for McGeehin (57).
Gaoth Dobhair: Dáithí Roberts; Fiachra Coyle, Gary McFadden, Danny Curran; Stephen Donna McFadden, Niall Friel, Neasán Mac Giolla Bhríde; Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde, Micheál Roarty; Fionnán Coyle, Eamonn Collum, Adan McGeever; Eoin de Búrca, Dáire Ó Baoill, Ethan Harkin. Cian McEntee for N Mac Giolla Bhríde (39), Seagan Ferry for Fionnán Coyle (45), Cathal Gillespie for Harkin (52)
Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary’s, Convoy)