GAVIN MCBRIDE slotted home a 63rd minute penalty to give Gaoth Dobhair a draw against St Eunan’s in Magheragallon this afternoon.
Gaoth Dobhair 3-14 St Eunan’s 3-14
The late goal brought McBride’s personal total for the day to 1-7 after Caolan Ward appeared to have fouled Noel Kelly. The visitors had claimed there was a push on Eamonn Doherty in the lead-up to the penalty but level it ended.
In his first game in charge, David McGinley, then, will be the slightly more disappointed of the two managers with his side having been pegged back at the bitter end. Both teams played their part on an entertaining opening of the AllSportStore.com All-County Football League Division 1.
Gaoth Dobhair lost the influence of Peter McGee with a quad-muscle injury inside of 10 minutes but the substitution worked well for the home side as his replacement Michael Roarty scored two first half goals. For St Eunan’s, Donnacha Gallagher, John Haran and Cillian Morrison all found the net.
The game burst into life with the appeals ringing for a St Eunan’s penalty still ringing in the ears of Liam McConigley on 15 minutes as he waved play on. From the resultant attack a dangerous ball into the St Eunan’s square and Roarty beat John Paul Clarke – who had saved well beforehand from Niall Friel – to the punch to put his side 1-3 to 0-2 in front.
Three minutes later, the visitors had a goal of their own when Gallagher was on hand to tuck home from close range as he got the decisive touch ahead of Jamie Boyle after Darragh Mulgrew’s stinging shot was saved by Christopher Sweeney.
That meant the Letterkenny team were just 1-3 to 1-2 down against the wind but just a minute later, Roarty cut inside to score his own and his side’s second goal when he finished off a fine move that involved Friel, Kelly and Cian Mulligan.
The sun might’ve been shining but conditions were relatively awkward. Both parties, though, scored some eye-catching points towards the end of the first half with Lee McMonagle, Peter Devine and Conor Parke impressing for St Eunan’s and McBride, Odhrán MacNiallais and Michael Carroll finding their range for Gaoth Dobhair.
Gaoth Dobhair were 2-6 to 1-8 in front at the break. The talk at half-time though was of a curious incident on the 28th minute when an already booked Eamon McGee collided with Conall Dunne. There was nothing particular malicious about the contact but McGee did push Dunne towards the ground.
Referee McConigley felt it was the St Eunan’s player – who started the match at centre-back – that was the aggressor and Dunne was black-carded.
McBride’s accuracy from dead balls was a constituent of the second half and after his two scores, Rory Kavanagh burst through the Gaoth Dobhair defence but his shot blazed wide. The Donegal midfielder was also denied by goalkeeper Sweeney who made a fine save in a one-on-one situation.
St Eunan’s levelled it at 2-10 to 2-10 when, on 40 minutes, Haran got a punch on a bouncing ball ahead of Sweeney following a deep ball in from Doherty.
Thirteen minutes from time, a third St Eunan’s goal put them in control – it seemed. Gary McFadden, the Gaoth Dobhair corner-back, was unfortunate as his stretch to intercept a long ball from Haran just took the sting out of it and Cillian Morrison picked up the loose change to drive past Sweeney.
At 3-10 to 2-10 up there was a little confusion over whether a point from Kavanagh went over the crossbar as the referee overruled his umpire.
Four points down with less than 10 minutes left, Gaoth Dobhair kept plugging away and McBride kept slotting over the free. But when Cillian and then Conor Morrison and then McMonagle, from a free, edged St Eunan’s 3-14 to 2-13 up, it looked as though it would be an away win.
But a point and a penalty from McBride in injury time shared the spoils.
Gaoth Dobhair: Christopher Sweeney; Gary McFadden, Jamie Reynolds, Jamie Boyle; Jonathan Harkin, Eamon McGee, Cian Mulligan (0-1); Peter McGee, Michael Carroll (0-1); Niall Frield, Odhrán MacNiallais (0-4, 2f), Kevin Cassidy; Daire Ó Baoill, Gavin McBride (1-7, 6f, 1-0 pen), Noel Kelly (0-1). Subs: Michael Roarty (2-0) for P McGee (9), Anthony Blair for Friel (57).
St Eunan’s: John Paul Clarke; Darragh McWalters, Caolan Ward, Conor Morrison (0-1); Eamonn Doherty, Conall Dunne, Connall O’Boyle; Rory Kavanagh (0-2), Darragh Mulgrew (0-2); Peter Devine (0-2), John Haran (1-0), Conor Parke (0-1); Lee McMonagle (0-4, 2f), Donnacha Gallagher (1-0), Cillian Morrison (1-2). Sub: Michéal Martin for Dunne (black card, 28).
Referee: Liam McConigley (Downings)
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