Diver gives Gaels the edge on Na Rossa in JFC semi

A goal after just 14 seconds by Brian Diver was key as Letterkenny squeezed past dogged Na Rossa and into the Donegal JFC final.

Letterkenny Gaels 1-9

Na Rossa 0-10

Ciaran Kilfeather’s shot dropped shot of its intended target and Diver was quickest to pick up the pieces. Diver skipped in to tuck to the net and give his side a dream start.

The goal kept Sean McBrearty’s team at arm’s length throughout and it was particularly vital when Na Rossa - spurred by four John Paul McCready points - crept their way back into the tie.

In added time at the end, Daniel Martin Mell and Aidan McHugh narrowed the margin to one, but Diver, having opened the scoring, also closed it to seal the win.

Gaels were already without star turns in Conor McBrearty, their top scorer, and Ronan Frain. They were dealt a further blow when an injury in the warm-up forced Liam McAlary out of action.

However, a goal in the opening passage of the game settled any fears the Glebe outfit might’ve had.

It was the 14th minute before John McDyre broke the Na Rossa duck. McDyre, a former Donegal minor and under-21 player, led the way for the Lettermacaward men in the opening half.

Three well-taken scores from McDyer kept Na Rossa in touch, but there was a real danger that the game was getting away from them.

Sean McDonagh curled over a delightful point from the left flank in between a pair of Cormac Cannon frees to open up a three-point lead, 1-3 to 0-3.

Ciaran Lynch landed a monster effort from distance to keep the board ticking.

A sometimes niggly affair was brought to a momentary halt when the attention of Siobhan Coyle, the referee, was called in the 24th minute. With Gaels forward Kilfeather on the ground, Na Rossa corner-back Brian O’Donnell was yellow carded

McDyre narrowed the gap with a tidy point, but when Oisin McElhinney helped the ball on for Sean McDonagh to score, Letterkenny Gaels held a healthy 1-5 to 0-3 half-time advantage.

Na Rossa’s diminished numbers, in an already small pool from which they draw, had brought fears over their future, but the development of their new facility in Madavagh has helped a resurrection.

Their squad, though, was aided by five players - McDyre, Brian O’Donnell, Sean McMonagle, John Paul Breslin and Denis O’Donnell - who flew in from the UK, where they are now based.

McHugh and McCready got Na Rossa off to a useful start in the second half and it was the midpoint of the half until Lynch drilled over Gaels’ first score of part two.

Two frees in quick succession from McCready had Na Rossa breathing down the Gaels’ necks and they remained on the case. Five minutes into red time, Christian Bonner won a kick-out. Odhrán Molloy helped it onto McHugh.

The deficit was at one and the nerves whistled in the Glenswilly breeze. With Na Rossa pushed up, Darren Hunter fed the scampering Diver.

Gaels, the beaten finalists in 2019, are back for another crack in two weeks’ time.

Na Rossa: Aidan McCahill; Brian O’Donnell, Johnny Bonner, Sean McMonagle; Adam McHugh, Daniel Martin Melly (0-1), Ryan Hennessy; Eugene Molloy, Christian Bonner; Odhrán Molloy, Aidan McHugh (0-2), Matthew Smith; John McDyre (0-3), Keelin Devenney, John Paul Breslin. Subs: John Paul McCready (0-4, 3f) for Breslin (27), Jamie McCready for Smith (37), Denis O’Donnell for McCready (41).

Letterkenny Gaels: Ryan Graham; Niall Diver, Conor Browne, Kevin Kilkenny; Diarmuid Ó Cathail, Darren Hunter, Brian Diver (1-1); Paddy Doherty, Oisin McElhinney; Sean McDonagh (0-2), Cormac Cannon (0-3f), Conor Walker (0-1); Ben Gallagher, Ciaran Lynch (0-2), Ciaran Kilfeather. SUbs: Brendan O’Brien for Gallagher (40), Kevin Langan for Kilfeather (60).

Referee: Siobhan Coyle (Gaeil Fhánada),