O’Malley delivers at the death as Naomh Conaill clinch Donegal title at third attempt

[team1]Gaoth Dobhair[/team1][score1]0-7[/score1][team2]Naomh Conaill[/team2][score2]0-8[/score2][/score]

A last-minute John O’Malley score earned victory for Naomh Conaill over 13-man Gaoth Dobhair in the second replay of the Donegal SFC final.

Eamon McGee was sent off before the second half got under way for striking Naomh Conaill wing-back Eoin Waide, who named as a substitute, as both teams left the field at the conclusion of the first.

Odhran McFadden-Ferry was dismissed for the Ulster champions in injury time for a high challenge on Nathan Byrne.

Naomh Conaill made the early running on the scoreboard. When Leo McLoone stroked over with the outside of the boot on 20, it meant a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

At the other end, Gaoth Dobhair had seen Odhrán Mac Niallais drop two frees short and Gavin McBride miss the target with another, although Cian Mulligan and Michael Carroll managed to score.

Ethan O’Donnell scored to continue the forward trajectory for the Martin Regan-managed side for a three-point lead. Mulligan and Carroll, though, scored fine Gaoth Dobhair points to mean they only trailed by the one, 0-5 to 0-4, at half-time.

However, they would soon be a man down too.

Cavan champions Castlerahan would’ve been keeping a watchful eye on developments, with the winners due at Breffni Park on Sunday.

Gaoth Dobhair and Naomh Conaill were gridlocked at 0-8 to 0-8 last Sunday week in the original final meeting prior to a pulsating second meeting, which ended 0-14 to 1-11 after extra-time.

The second half began in tetchy fashion and it took 11 minutes for a score, which was immediately followed by another with from Naomh Conaill registering both — Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí and Ciaran Thompson profiting.

Carroll’s third of the night, on 48 minutes, was Gaoth Dobhair’s first second-half score. That was followed by Odhran Mac Niallais’s first score and Gaoth Dobhair were back to within striking distance, 0-7 to 0-6 down.

However, when Carroll was black-cared five minutes from time, it was another blow to Mervyn O’Donnell’s team.

But Eamonn Collum levelled it up with a 59th minute free, only for O’Malley to have the final word, though Gaoth Dobhair claimed the effort was wide.

Scorers for Gaoth Dobhair: M Carroll 0-3, C Mulligan 0-2, O MacNiallais 0-1, E Collum 0-1 (1f)

Scorers for Naomh Conaill: C McGuinness 0-2 (2f), C Thompson 0-2 (45), L McLoone, E O’Donnell, J Mac Ceallabhuí and J O’Malley 0-1

GAOTH DOBHAIR: C Sweeney; G McFadden, N McGee, S Ferry; N Friel, D McBride, D Ó Baoill; M Carroll, E McGee; O McFadden-Ferry, O Mac Niallais, N Ó Baoill; C Mulligan, K Cassidy, G McBride.

Subs: J Ó Baoill for G McBride (34), P McGee for Ferry (51), E Collum for Carroll (55, black card)

NAOMH CONAILL: S McGrath; U Doherty, AJ Gallagher, K McGettigan; E O’Donnell, A Thompson, M Boyle; C Thompson, L McLoone; B McDyer, E McGettigan, E Doherty; J Mac Ceallabhuí, C McGuinness, K Gallagher.

Subs: S Molloy for Boyle (39), D Molloy for McDyer (43), N Byrne for McGuinness (47), J O’Malley for Mac Ceallabhuí (50), M Boyle for Gallagher (57), H Gallagher for McGettigan (60+4)

Referee: S McGonagle (Aodh Ruadh)