ODHRÁN Macniallais was the star of the show as Gaoth Dobhair flexed their muscles and posted a routine Championship win over Sean MacCumhaills in Ballybofey.
Sean MacCumhaills 2-08 Gaoth Dobhair 1-15
MacNiallais (pictured above) kicked five points and had a hand in most of the other Gaoth Dobhair scores as Conal Sheridan’s men got the win they needed, having lost on the opening day against Glenswilly.
Cian Mulligan netted the first-half goal for Gaoth Dobhair who were comfortable winners with MacCumhaills failing to spark after Martin O’Reilly netted a goal just after Mulligan’s major.
A second goal, netted by Alan Patton five minutes from the end, put something of a gloss on the scoreline for MacCumhaills.
The goals were the only scores from play for the hosts over the hour until Chris Gallen managed to steer over in added time with Brendan Dunleavy’s side craving for a sharp edge to their blade and they’re now in trouble at the wrong end of the standings.
They did make a fist of it, but it was a case of too little, too late when they did muster a response.
A Michael Carroll brace and another by Danny Curran saw the visitors race into a three-point lead by the 10th minute.
It took MacCumhaills until the 13th minute to register with Stephen Mulligan converting a free.
In between times, there were big goal chances at both eneds.
MacCumhaills’ Alan Patton clipped the post from close range after a scramble while Chris Patton, the MacCumhaills goalkeeper, denied Paul Mulligan with a superb reaction save after he was played in by Noel Kelly.
Gaoth Dobhair began to turn the screw and, after two points by the excellent MacNiallais, they hit the game’s opening goal in the 17th minute as Niall Friel fed Cian Mulligan and he fired home in style.
That gave them a seven-point lead, but the hosts were ignited when Martin O’Reilly started and finished a move for a goal down the other end almost immediately.
O’Reilly riffled home after Alan Patton’s shot was blocked in a crowded goalmouth, but Gaoth Dobhair finished the half the better side as Cian Mulligan, Paul Mulligan, Carroll, MacNiallais and Friel all pointed to put the Gaeltacht men 1-10 to 1-2 in front at the changeover.
MacNiallais was delivering something of an exhibition and, in the opening three minutes of the second half, the county star, bagged another two points to open up a ten-point deficit.
Frees from O’Reilly and Mulligan kept MacCumhaills’s tally ticking, but it was by now a damaged limitations exercise for the Twin Towns side.
Gaoth Dobhair included All-Star full-back Neil McGee in their line-up, but clearly inhibited by injury, and not helped by a collision with the post in the first half, he was withdrawn six minutes into the second half.
Gaoth Dobhair did include Kieran Gillespie, Niall Friel and Cian Mulligan, who had been in American in recent times and they were coasting with Friel, Kelly and Carroll scoring.
When Patton blasted to the net in the 55th minute, MacCumhaills were back to within five, but the clock had beaten them before then.
In the dying moments, Shane Duffy and Eamon McGee were sent off. When order was restored, after the playing area awash with mentors at a stage when blood was boiling, both sides were reduced to 14 men, although Gaoth Dobhair are set to appeal McGee’s dismissal.
Sean MacCumhaills: Chris Patton; Eoghan Wright, Martin Gallagher, Joe Dunnion; Ronan McMenamin, Brian Lafferty, Andrew McCloskey; Steven O’Reilly, Pat McNulty; Stephen Mulligan (0-4, 3f, 1 ‘45), Martin O’Reilly (1-3, 3f), Chris Gallen (0-1); Alan Patton (1-0), Gary Wilson, Shane Duffy. Sub: Aaron Kelly for Dunnion (42).
Gaoth Dobhair: Joe Duffy; Ciaran Ferry, Neil McGee, Jamie Reynolds; Eamon McGee, Kieran Gillespie, Danny Curran (0-1); Peter McGee, Michael Carroll (0-4); Paul Mulligan (0-1), Odhrán Mac Niallais (0-5, 2f), Niall Friel (0-2); Cian Mulligan (1-1), Noel Kelly (0-1), James Gallagher. Subs: Prionsais Gallagher for P.Mulligan (36), James Boyle for N.McGee (36), Micheál Roarty for J.Gallagher (50), Gavin McBride for C.Mulligan (60).
Referee: Paddy McGonagle (Buncrana).
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