Cill Chartha came good in extra time to defeat Cill na Martra and reach the senior final at Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta in Kerry.
Cill Chartha 2-11 Cill na Martra 0-9 (after extra time)
Cill Chartha outscored Cill na Martra 1-6 to 0-1 in extra time, with a late Ryan O’Donnell goal sealing the deal.
The Donegal side had nine different scorers as they booked a place in tomorrow’s final.
The first Cill Chartha goal arrived on 14 minutes. Mark McHugh and Stephen McBrearty did the approach work and Mark Sweeney’s cool finish had the Donegal side in front, 1-1 to 0-1.
Cill Chartha wouldn’t score again in the first half and it was the Cork side who led, 0-5 to 1-1, at the interval.
Mícheál Ó Deasúna swung over three of the Cill na Martra scores in that first half.
Aodhán McGinley drew Cill Chartha level three minutes into the second half and a beautiful curling effort by McGinley put the Towney men back in the lead.
A long-range attempt by Michael Hegarty, 11 minutes from the end, stretched the lead, but Ó Deasúna and Damien Ó hUrdail had Cill na Martra back on level terms again.
After Eamonn McGinley, the Cill Chartha goalkeeper, denied Cill na Martra with a super save, Ó Deasúna put Cill na Martra ahead only for Ciaran McGinley to force extra time with a brilliant score.
Cill Chartha are down Patrick McBrearty, Ryan McHugh and Eoin McHugh ahead of Donegal’s Ulster SFC semi-final with Tyrone next weekend.
But Barry Doherty’s team took control again with Andrew McClean and Hegarty, landing a classy effort with the outside of the boot, on the mark.
Just 13 seconds into the second period of extra time, Ciaran McGinley stroked over to put three between the teams again and Paddy McShane made light of the elements to put Cill Chartha four in front.
Mark McHugh’s free, three minutes from the end of the extra period and another point by Matthew McClean set Cill Chartha up for the victory.
There was still time for Cill Chartha to hit another goal, O’Donnell firing in after Conor Doherty fisted off the bar.
Cill Chartha: Eamonn McGinley; Barry McGinley, Conor McShane, Pauric Carr; Brian O’Donnell, Michael Hegarty (0-2), Andrew McClean (0-1); Ciaran McGinley (0-2), Mark McHugh (0-1f); Stephen McBrearty, Mark Sweeney (1-0), Conor Doherty (0-1); Matthew McClean (0-1), Aodhán McGinley (0-2, 1f), Oran Doogan. Subs used: Daragh O’Donnell, Pauric McShane, Paddy McShane (0-1), Ryan O’Donnell (1-0).
