Ronan Mac Niallais savours Gaoth Dobhair turnaround in ‘sweet’ victory

A 17-point hammering on their first day out to a three-point win in the Donegal LGFA Junior A Championship final against the arch-rivals Dungloe is the road Gaoth Dobhair have travelled this season. 

On Sunday on the wide open spaces of the Banks, goals from Sile NÍ Fhearraigh and Meabh Nic Giolla Bhride proved to be the big scores in the 2-7 to 1-7 Gaoth Dobhair victory, over the ladies from the Rosses. 

“It is a sweet victory,” said Gaoth Dobhair coach Ronan Mac Niallais at the final whistle. We played Dungloe in the first round of the championship and they hammered us in Magheragallon. “That defeat hurt the girls a lot.

“We knew today was going to be a tough game. But we did our homework and we upped our performance a lot since that first game and we also got a few girls back. It is amazing how a couple of victories can turn the tide and we are just delighted to win.” 

Gaoth Dobhair will play in the intermediate championship next year. Brendan McBride is the Gaoth Dobhair manager, Mac Niallais the coach and Daniel MacLochlainn, Ciaran Gillespie and Joanne Kelly complete the management team. 

Dungloe had beaten championship favourites Downings in the semi-final and, in turn, had gone into Sunday’s final as firm favourites. 

“Once we saw we were on the other side of the draw to Dungloe and Downings we presumed it would be Downings would be in the final,” Mac Niallais added.  “Everybody had tipped Downings from the start of the year. So we knew when Dungloe beat Downings we were in for a tough game. We stifled their biggest threats today which went a long way to us winning that game.” 

Dungloe led by two points at half-time but had played with the aid of a strong wind in the opening 30 plus minutes.  

“I said to the girls you rarely go in ahead at half-time when you are playing against the wind,” Mac Niallais said. “So to be two points down at half-time was brilliant. We only had one wide in the first half. Everytime we went forward we worked it into the scoring zone and we took our scores nicely and that kept us in the game. It was so important to be in the game at half-time and we had a few fresh legs to bring on in the second half.” 

Gaoth Dobhair’s second goal early in the second half and just after Saskia Boyle had scored Dungloe’s second three-pointer proved to be a huge score.  

“It was a high ball and our midfielder Meabh just happened  to be in the right place at the right time and she stuck it away beautifully,” Mac Niallais added.

“We’ve done a lot of work on taking goals. I always say keep it low and she did and stuck it in the corner of the net. It was a huge score and it gave us the confidence to push on and see out the game.”

Ní Fhearraigh scored Gaoth Dobhair’s first half goal to keep them in touch at half-time.

“Síle scored a great goal,” Mac Niallais said. “She had a great game and is so dangerous when she gets on the ball. 

“She has no fear whatsoever and gets stuck in and wins breaking balls and for a young girl of 16 years of age it is unreal the leadership she showed out there today especially in the first half when we were playing against the wind.”