THEY WEREN’T EXACTLY CONVINCING, but Bundoran are through to the Intermediate Championship semi-finals after seeing off Naomh Bríd at Fr Tierney Park.
Bundoran 2-10 Naomh Bríd 2-05
Brian Gavigan’s team had five points to spare by the time Jimmy White called time, but they were more than blessed to have been a handful in front as daylight faded.
Shane Walsh and David Walsh netted first half goals for Naomh Bríd, who made a real fist of it, but Gerard Gallagher’s men scored just once in the second half and they would pay the ultimate price for their profligacy.
Donegal Under-21 ace Jamie Brennan netted Bundoran’s first goal and when Christy Keaney’s long-range shot was dropped to the net by Pauric McDaid, the Naomh Bríd goalkeeper, the tide turned in favour of Bundoran.
Naomh Bríd didn’t arrive in Ballyshannon to merely make up numbers and the Ballintra boys certainly weren’t going to roll over and be obliging opponents.
Ross Gallagher broke in for the opening point, but Bundoran turned the tide through a Tommy Hourihane free and a superb long-range effort by Gary Clancy.
By the time Clancy next split the sticks, with an excellent 19th minute point, kicked from way out on the left-hand side, Bundoran were stunned with the concession of a brace of goals.
On 13 minutes Shane Walsh was put clear and when one-v-one with Johnny Keenan, the Bundoran goalkeeper, he made no mistake with an emphatic low drive to the net.
Just four minutes later, Donegal panellist David Walsh took a punt and got away from James Keaney to collect a long ball into the edge of the Bundoran square. Once Walsh pulled clear, there was an inevitable air about the end result and Walsh duly obliged by tucking home.
Johnny Boyle, Hourihane and Clancy kept Bundoran in touch, but the Seasiders were thankful when David Walsh elected to fist a point rather than try for goal having surged in off the endline.
Two minutes later, Bundoran were firmly back in the contest as Brennan applied the finish after Peter McGonigle’s powerful shot was blocked.
When Keaney’s booming punt from 40 metres in the final minute of the half was fumbled by McDaid for a goal that put Bundoran ahead at the break (2-5 to 2-4), it was rough justice for Naomh Bríd’s endeavours.
Where Bundoran profited for their goals, Naomh Bríd failed to capitalise when a similar chance presented itself to them early in the second half. Keenan spilled a ball into the edge of the square and in the ensuing scramble, Declan McCafferty was penalised for a pick-up.
It was the 50th minute, 20 minutes into the second half, before David Walsh tapped over a free, borne out of his own work, for the first Naomh Bríd score of part two.
That score set up a grandstand finale with only two points between the sides heading into the final ten minutes.
But Bundoran ensured that they put the game beyond their south Donegal rivals with Clancy, Spratt and Keaney on target in the closing stages.
Bundoran: Johnny Keenan; Diarmuid McCaughey, James Keaney, Pauric Rooney; Barry McGowan, Shane McGowan, Johnny Boyle (0-1); Ciaran McCaughey, Peter McGonigle; Diarmuid Spratt (0-2), Gary Clancy (0-3, 1f), Shane Moohan; Tommy Hourihane (0-3, 2f), Jamie Brennan (1-0), Christy Keaney (1-1). Subs: Paul Brennan for B.McGowan (18), Darragh Hoey for Moohan (39), Fergal McKiernan for C.McCaughey (60, black card).
Naomh Bríd: Pauric McDaid; Gary McCafferty, Jamie Timoney, Sam Burgess; Callum Gallagher, Ross Gallagher (0-1), Darragh Brogan; Tom Gallagher, Dermot Langan; Declan McCafferty, John McNulty, Clint Walsh; Shane Walsh (1-1), David Walsh (1-3, 1f), Shane Timoney. Subs: Cian Gallagher for D.McCafferty (51), Padraig Brennan for Langan (60), Owen Harron for S.Walsh (60).
Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs).
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