Brian McCormick Sports, Division 1 – Gaoth Dobhair cruise to win in Glenswilly

Glenswilly                              0-8

Gaoth Dobhair                    1-17

Our featured match this week comes from Gleann tSuilí where a big crowed at Páirc Naoimh Columba saw Gaoth Dobhair cruise to a comfortable victory over the home side on Sunday. The visitors fielded three county panellists from the outset – Neil McGee, Michael Carroll and Cian Mulligan but not Daire O’Baoill or Odhran McFarren Ferry, while Kevin Cassidy also sat on the bench. It was always going to be tough for Glenswilly with a number of absentees due to injury, notably centre-half forward Kealan McFadden, and Michael Murphy also among the substitutes but Neil Gallagher made a welcome return.

The visitors took the lead within two minutes with a point from corner back James O’Baoill and with Michael Carroll and Gavin McBride (2) quickly adding more scores Gaoth Dobhair were were four up before ten minutes were played. However, Glenswilly were not going to lie down and on 11 mins Caoimhin Marley opened the scoring for the home side, converting a free followed two minutes later by great point from play by Mark McAteer after a well worked move. Marley was on target again on 19 minutes with another score to close the gap to the minimum. It was as good as it got for Glenwilly, however, and for the remaining ten minutes of the first half Gaoth Dobhair re-established control, registering 3 more points and could have been more only for a great save by the ever reliable Gerard McGrenra in goal. At half-time the score read 0-7 to 0-3 in favour of the visitors.

On the resumption, Gaoth Dobhair began in similar fashion with the first point of the second half on the board in just over a minute. Despite the introduction of Michael Murphy 10 minutes into proceedings, for the black-carded Joe Gibbons, Gaoth Dobhair remained well in the ascendancy with newcomer Ethan Harkin particularly impressive in the half-forward line – he scored six points over the course of the game.

While Michael Murphy was linking up play well the home side were barely troubling the scoreboard and by the end of the third quarter trailed by 0-12 to 0-4. Entering the last ten minutes with the visitors nine points ahead, Glenswilly had a mini purple patch registering three successive scores but Gaoth Dobhair finished the stronger. A well-worked goal was finished by Cian Mulligan and it ended 1-17 to 0-8, a merited 12 point win for the visitors.

Glenswilly: Gerard McGenra, Paddy Diver, Eamonn Ward, Ruari Crawford, Ryan Diver, Mark McAteer, (0-2), Shane McDaid, Sean Wogan, (0-1), Caoimhín Marley (0-4), Joe Gibbons, Kealan Kelly, Steve O’Donnell, Conor McGinty, Neil Gallagher, Brian Farrelly (0-1). Subs used: Michael Murphy for Joe Gibbons, Chris McMonagle for Kealan Kelly.

Gaoth Dobhair: Christopher Sweeney, James O’Baoill (0-2), Neil McGee, Gary McFadden, Seaghan Ferry, Eamonn McGee, Neasan McBride, Peter McGee, Michael Carroll (0-4), James Carroll, Ethan Harkin (0-6), Dan McBride, Eamonn Collum (0-4), Gavin McBride (0-2), Cian Mulligan (1-0). Subs use: Kevin Cassidy (0-2) for Gavin McBride, Chris McFadden for Neasan McBride.

Elsewhere in the Brian McCormick Sports Division 1 apart from a very close encounter in Falcarragh, where Cloughaneely just pipped Sean MacCumhaills, it was a day for emphatic victories. Kilcar were also 12-point winners. They recovered from a shaky start against Realt na Mara to run our comfortable victors 3-23 to 3-11 and maintained their impressive 100% start to the 2019 campaign. A Cian McEniff goal put the visitors 1-3 to 0-3 ahead and while Kilcar led 2-8 to 1-7 at half-time the visitors were well in the game. Kilcar moved into a higher gear in the second half, and the Bundoran side faded badly, with an early goal by Ciaran McGinley, his second of the day, setting the scene for the home side’s dominance. Ryan McHugh with five points and Paddy McBrearty with 1-6 (five frees) were also impressive for Kilcar. Late goals from Johnny Boyle and Tommy Hourihane improving the look of the scoreboard for Realt na Mara with Jamie Brennan scoring six points (five frees) and Cian McEniff hitting 1-3.

Sean MacCumhaills narrowly failed to follow up on their first victory of the season over St Michael’s last Sunday when they were narrowly defeated by a Jason McGee-inspired Cloich Cheann Fhaola who picked up their first set of league points. The county star hit nine of the home side’s 13 points (seven from frees) as they won on a 0-13 to 1-9 margin. Oisin Gallen returned for MacCumhaills but in worrying news had to leave the field with a shoulder injury after a heavy collision. Marty O’Reilly hit the MacCumhaill’s goal and could have had another but his shot came off the underside of the crossbar.

Milford’s woes continued and with no league points after five games they are anchored to the bottom of the table. Eoghan McGettigan demonstrated why he has been called into Declan Bonner’s county squad, hitting 1-5 from play, while Charles McGuinness also posted 1-5 his points all converted frees. The game ended Naomh Conaill 2-20, Milford 0-10.

In O’Donnell Park, St Eunan’s dispelled the memory of their loss to Naomh Conaill last Sunday with a nine point win over St Michaels. For most of the first half it was a competitive game but five points without reply for St Eunan’s coming up to half-time established a gap 0-10 to 0-3 gap between the sides that St Michael’s never managed to close over the rest of the game. Jamie Doherty was particularly impressive upfront for the home side, hitting seven points, while full-back Conor Morrison scored the goal that put the icing on the cake late in the game. St Eunan’s join Kilcar on eight league points at the top of Division 1 but have played one extra game.

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In the Reserve League, unbeaten St Eunan’s lead the way with nine league points out of a possible 10.

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