Connemara 2-9 Gaels
Donegal 1-16
Donegal and the
Connemara Gaels played a very exciting 60 minutes that was full of incident and
plenty of exciting football. There were
some great scores and a sending off, that actually served to lift the Gaels
efforts in the final 10 minutes to almost pull off an unlikely comeback. Donegal however were full value for their
victory, with some impeccable place kicking by Laoisman, Gary Walsh, and
pushing home the advantage when the momentum was with them.
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| Paudge McAnenly turns Aidan Sullivan. |
It was
blistering pace to open the game. Each
team was keyed in on the task ahead and the challenges were
uncompromising. Keelan Sexton got the
Gaels off the mark with a point off the inside of the post, and Ciaran Murtagh
answered for Donegal. Donegal outscored
the Gaels 4 points to 2 in the following sequence, with Gary Walsh, Ray
Connellan, Barry John Keane and Shane Carthy with some superb points. There were a couple of mis-hit frees from the
normally reliable Sexton, and Donegal had momentum.
A penalty for
Donegal with 18 minutes gone put the northerners well and truly in the driver’s
seat. Sean Fox came to meet Gary Walsh
for a through ball and was adjudged to have fouled the Laoisman. Walsh took the spot kick expertly and the
goal put Donegal into a 4 point lead. The points began to flow as Mark Bradley
(free), Walsh and Murtagh were all on the mark and Donegal pressed home their advantage. In spite of some excellent play from Adam
Dallon at center back from the Gaels, the westerners struggled to find any kind
of form going forward. At the break it
was a 1-10 to 0-6 Donegal lead.
Two expertly
taken frees from Gary Walsh from distance added to Donegal’s lead and open it
to 9 just after the restart. Things turned a little chippy with a number of off
the ball incidents and yellow cards issued to players from both teams. The Gaels persistence eventually paid off as
they netted through Paudraig McAnenly 10 minutes into the period to reduce the
difference to 6 points.
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| Ray Connellan on the move for Donegal |
The teams
traded points before Paul Donaghy was sent off for a second yellow card
incident, and with 15 minutes left and a 6 point lead, the game was Donegal’s
to lose. The Gaels lifted their efforts and after the sides swapped points
before some quick thinking resulted in a goal for the Gaels. A quickly taken free from McAnenley to the
open Sean Conneeley put the Rosmuc man clean through and Conneeley took his
time to make sure of the goal.
One goal in it
and the clock running. The Gaels tried
to isolate McAnenely but a couple of over-hit passes into the full forward line
came to naught. Kevin O’Halloran entered
play and almost immediately pointed to make it a two point game and raise the
hopes of the Gaels supporters. Donegal
went for the possession game, however, the Gaels had a couple of opportunities
reduce the gap further between the teams that went awry. Donegal finished the game with points from
Carthy and Cian Clinton to put an end the Gaels hopes, and to make a return to
the senior football final to defend the title won last season.
Gaels: Sean Fox, Niall Collins, Niall Kelly, Colm
Shaughnessy, Adam Fallon, Kieran Killeen, Nathan Donnelly, Paul Donaghy, Sean
Conneeley, Keelan Sexton, Nathan O’Neill, Paddy McGee, Paudraig McAnenly.
Donegal: Hugh Boyle, Aidan Sullivan, Jason Noctor,
Aaron Deeney, Jack O’Brien, John Bingham, Shane Carthy, Ray Connellan, Ciaran
Murtagh, Mark Bradley, Sean Donnelly, Barry John Keane, Gary Walsh.
By Rory O'Donnell
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