GAOTH DOBHAIR ARE IN a winning habit and don’t appear to have any notions of ending that any time soon.
Gaoth Dobhair 2-16 Termon 0-7
Once they clicked into action against Termon, there wasn’t any doubt that Conal Sheridan’s men would maintain their unbeaten start to their AllSport.com All-County Football League Division 1 campaign.
Their 3-14 apiece draw against St Eunan’s on the opening night remains the only blot for a side that is aiming to make up for some lost summers.
A 15-point win here keeps up their fine form and, while the sounds of summer are only in their early notes, they’ve the look of a team and a squad that has designs on a rather more profitable campaign this year.
[adrotate group=”54″]Gavin McBride hit the opening goal in the 15th minute and the game was long over as a contest when substitute Naoise Ó Baoill netted the second in the final minute.
Picture caption: Gavin McBride, who scored 1-5 for Gaoth Dobhair, with Termon’s Paul McDaid close by.
Gaoth Dobhair played the last 13 minutes with 14 men after Kevin Cassidy was sent off for a second bookable offence, a foul on James McSharry following an earlier booking that came after a running tussle with Shaun O’Donnell.
Termon had actually led 0-3 to 0-2 when the tide turned with McBride’s goal and the home side never looked back.
Daire McDaid had just curled a delightful point to give Termon the lead when Gaoth Dobhair broke from Chris Sweeney’s kick-out. The ball was transferred from Cian Mulligan, who surged off up the right side, to Niall Friel and McBride applied a close-range finish.
Micheál Carroll hit the post with Conor Tinney, the Termon ‘keeper beaten, and Odhrán Mac Niallais rolled wide with another attempt after a good move that had Eamon McGee and Cassidy at its controls.
McBride’s goal had Gaoth Dobhair 1-5 to 0-5 ahead at the break and Termon wouldn’t score again until three minutes from the end when Daire McDaid tapped over a free.
As McDaid lined up to post, the scoreboard told a rather ominous tale for the Burn Road side, with Gaoth Dobhair 1-14 to 0-5 in front.
[adrotate group=”67″]Frile, McBride and Cassidy swung over early scores in the second half before Eamon McGee, manning the midfield for the home side, sailed over a delicious point from out on the left.
As if to prove that that was no fluke, McGee repeated the trick with another glorious effort from a similar position.
That came after Cassidy, who was in the thick of the action in the second half, was sent off.
Cassidy appears re-energised and certainly is a considerable asset for Gaoth Dobhair when he’s in the mood. The former Donegal ace enjoyed those moments when he headed for warfare in the trench, particularly with O’Donnell.
[adrotate group=”31″]Neil McGee was held in reserve for Gaoth Dobhair, but appeared six minutes into the second half.
Tinney made a strong save to keep out Mulligan’s shot after Mac Niallais played him in, but McBride converted the ’45 and the afternoon would end in something of an ordeal for the Termon netminder.
McBride (2) and MacNiallais had Gaoth Dobhair leading by 14 when a short kick out was intercepted and Ó Baoill tucked home the second goal. Tinney’s next kick collected by McBride, but his blushes were spared as Ó Baoill shot off the outside of the post.
[adrotate group=”55″]Gaoth Dobhair: Chris Sweeney; Gary McFadden, Jamie Reynolds, Christopher McFadden; Cian Mulligan, Kieran Gillespie, Ciarán Ferry; Eamon McGee (0-2), Micheál Carroll (0-1); Kevin Cassidy (0-1), Odhrán Mac Niallais (0-4, 1f), Dáire Ó Baoill; Niall Friel (0-2), Gavin McBride (1-5, 3f, 1 ’45), Eoin Ward (0-1). Subs: Neil McGee for Gillespie (36), Paul Mulligan for Ó Baoill (40), Michael McKelvey for Carroll (47), Naoise Ó Baoill (1-0) for Ward (53).
Termon: Conor Tinney; Joe O’Donnell, Kevin McDaid, Paul McDaid; James McSharry, Kevin McElwaine, Anthony McGrenra; Caolan Mellett, Aiden Sweeney; Fionntán O’Flynn (0-1), Shaun O’Donnell, Daniel Connaghan; Nathan McElwaine, Johnny McCafferty (0-1, 1f), Daire McDaid (0-5, 4f). Subs: Alan Dugera for McSharry (21), McSharry for K.McElwaine (h-t), Joe English for McGrenra (44), McElwaine for K.McDaid (52).
Referee: Robbie O’Donnell (Naomh Muire).
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