Four points from the left boot of Odhran Mac Niallias and two each from Daire O’Baoill and team captain Niall Friel helped Gaoth Dobhair to a hard-earned away victory against a determined Dungloe side, as Charlie Collins reports
Dungloe 0-5 Gaoth Dobhair 0-12
This local derby was a keenly contested affair in which referee Michael McShane had his hands full in attempting to keep order, especially in the opening half.
Both teams were reduced to 14 men inside the first twenty minutes and a few more can count themselves lucky to have avoided a similar fate.
Caolan Ward got Dungloe off to a good start with a point in the second minute, but after taking some time to settle Gweedore got the games next four scores, two frees from Odhran MacNiallias and points from play by Daire O’Baoill and Niall Friel.
In between all that Gweedore’s Shane Ferry and Dungloe’s Gerard Walsh both received straight red cards in separate incidents as the game threatened to get out of hand because of the indiscipline of both sets of players.
To his credit referee McShane produced a number of yellow cards plus those two reds and the players seemed to get the message.
Points for Dungloe from play by Noel Mc Bride and a Ryan Greene free left just a point in it in the 23rd minute.
Two Odhran Mac Niallias scores from a free and then from play made it a three point game again but Conor Greene had the final say of the first-half with a fine point from 30mts to leave it 0-6 to 0-4 in Gweedore’s favour at the break.
Ryan Greene’s close range free in the 36th minute left just a point in it but that proved to be Dungloe’s only score of the second-half and from there Gaoth Dobhair upped the ante and without totally dominating, took control and scored the final six points of the game.
Five of those came from play from Daire O Boaill, Cian Mulligan with a super effort, Michael Carroll , Niall Friel and sub Sean Doherty while James Carroll knocked over a free.
So, after victory over Milford on Friday it’s four league points secured for Mervyn O’Donnell’s team, a good start to a season that their eyes are very firmly fixed on championship further down the road.
Dungloe: Ciaran Sharkey; Gavin Ward, Jack Scally, Conor O’Donnell; James McCole, Mark Curran, David McCarron; Ryan Conners, Gerard Walsh; Caolan Ward (0-1), Noel Mc Bride (0-1 ), Darren Curran; Raymond Sweeney, Conor Greene ( 0-1 ), Ryan Greene ( 0-2f ). Subs: Shaun Sharkey for Curran (42), Matthew O Donnell for Ward (44), Matthew Ward for Conners (49), Daniel Ward for O Donnell (55).
Gaoth Dobhair: Christopher Sweeney; Shane Ferry, Neil McGee, Gary McFadden; Conor McCafferty, Chris McFadden, Neasan McBride; Michael Carroll (0-1), Odhran McFadden- Ferry; James Carroll (0-1f), Cian Mulligan (0-1), Daire O Baoill (0-2); Odhran Mac Niallias (0-4 3f ), Kevin Cassidy, Niall Friel (0-2). Subs: Danny Curran for McCafferty (40), Gavin McBride for J Carroll (44), Conor Boyle for Cassidy (48), Donal McBride for Curran (50, black card), Sean Doherty for Mc Fadden-Ferry (58)
Referee: Michael Mc Shane ( Kilcar ).
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