Gaoth Dobhair through to semi-finals - but only after extra time against battling Bundoran

Gaoth Dobhair’s championship defence is still alive but not before being given one hell of a scare in a thrilling quarter-final played in O’Donnell Park on Sunday afternoon.

Gaoth Dobhair . . . . 2-20 

Bundoran  . . . 2-17

(after extra-time)

It took extra-time in the end to settle it after Bundoran staged a remarkable comeback from being eight points down with under ten minutes of normal time remaining to draw level. 

Gaoth Dobhair had all the appearances of a side with one foot in the semi-final at half-time. They had played into the stiff breeze and thanks to the dominance of Eamon McGee, Peter McGee and Dáire Ó Baoill around the middle of the field they led by five points at the break.

Odrhrán MacNaillais scored the goal from the penalty spot after Niall Friel was taken down as he bore down the Bundoran goals.

MacNiallais also nonchalantly knocked over a ‘45’, Eamonn Collum converted two close in frees and also pointed a brilliant point from play while  Ethan Harkin, in for the injured Cian Mulligan, also kicked two points. Collum was lucky to be still on the field at the break when minutes after picking up a yellow card he was spoken to by referee James Connors for something that happened off the ball.  However, the referee took no further action.

Bundoran got off to a flying start playing into the Swilly End. Gary Clancy landed the game’s first two points inside five minutes. 

Neil McGee got the champions up and running on seven minutes. But Bundoran were two to the good again shortly after when the lively Timmy Govorov kicked a brilliant point on the run.

Gaoth Dobhair responded with points from Harkin and Cassidy to tie up the game by the tenth minute.

Michael McEniff and Eamonn Collum traded points before Jamie Brennan nudged Bundoran back in front 0-5 to 0-4.

But the game turned shortly afterwards. Collum converted another close in free and MacNiallais converted from the penalty spot for a 1-5 to 0-5 lead.

And it was 1-9 to 0-6 at half-time thanks to points from Harkin and MacNiallais. Clancy and Govorov struck early on the resumption but a second MacNiallais penalty four minutes into the new half opened up a six point margin once again as the champions led 2-8 to 0-8. Gavin McBride made it a seven point game.

And the margin was out to eight with ten minutes of normal time remaining as Gaoth Dobhair led 2-12 to 0-10.

But there was a final twist. Gary Clancy drove a 13 metre free through a crowded goalmouth to the Gaoth Dobhair net on the hour mark to set up a grandstand finish. 

And with Bundoran’s tails up and Gaoth Dobhair down to 14 after Eamonn McGee picked up a second yellow card, Clancy, Jamie Brennan and Michael McEniff came up with the goods. McEniff tied up the eight minutes into injury time.  

Extra-time

The champions stamped their authority again in the first half of extra-time and led  2-18 to 1-16, Eamonn Collum (4), Dáire Ó Baoill and MacNiallais all raising white flags. Tommy Hourihane scored Bundoran’s only point of the first period. 

But Bundoran were far from done and they dominated the second period and outscored Gaoth Dobhair 1-2 to 0-2. Tommy Hourihane scored the Bundoran goal in the middle of the second period of additional time. 

And in the second period Gaoth Dobhair just added two more points as Bundoran thanks to a Tommy Hourihan goal in the middle of the half brought Bundoran right back into the game and it was the champions 

Bundoran lost Paul Brennan to a straight red card as tempers boiled over in a tense finish. 

And it was the champions who were again clinging on at the final whistle. 

GAOTH DOBHAIR: Christopher Sweeney; Gary McFadden, Neil McGee (0-1), Christopher McFadden; Niall Friel, Eamon McGee, Dáire Ó Baoill (0-1); Peter McGee, Michael Carroll (0-1); Odhrán McFadden Ferry, Odhrán Mac Niallais (2-3, 2 pens, 2f, '45'), Naoise Ó Baoill (0-1); Ethan Harkin (0-2), Kevin Cassidy (0-2), Eamonn Collum (0-7, 5f). Subs: Gavin McBride (0-2) for Collum  h/t; Kieran Gillespie for P. McGee 48, James Ó Baoill for McFadden-Ferry 55, Seaghan Ferry for N. Ó Baoill 58, Dan McBride for M Carroll 60, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Naoise Ó Baoill, Michael Carroll, and Eamonn Collum for J.Ó Baoill, S. Ferry and McBride at start of second half of extra-time. Cian Mulligan for Harkin 65, Peter McGee for T CGillespie 76.

BUNDORAN: Conor Carty; Matthew Ward, Paul Murphy, Oisin Walsh; Matthew Duffy, Shane McGowan, Adam Gallagher; Jonathan Boyle, Paul Brennan; Timmy Govorov (0-2), Alan Russell, Niall Carr; Michael McEniff (0-2), Jamie Brennan (0-2), Gary Clancy (1-9, 1-7fs) . Subs: Tommy Hourihane (1-2, 1f) for Carr (53 mins), Diarmuid McCaughey for Ward (58 mins), Matthew Ward for D.McCaughey (62, black card), Peter McGonigle for O Walsh and Ciaran McCaughey for  M Ward, both 70. 

REFEREE: James Connors (St Eunans).