Late goal secures win for Naomh Conaill 

LATE WIN: Naomh Conaill's AJ Gallagher celebrates his score. Pic: ©INPHO/John McVitty

Ulster Club SFC quarter-final

Naomh Conaill (Donegal) 2-8 Gowna (Cavan) 1-10 

A very young Gowna side will be wondering how they ended up empty-handed as Donegal kingpins Naomh Conaill hit them with a late sucker-punch, a goal deep into injury time which saw home by a point after a bitterly-contested tussle.

And Naomh Conaill were the better side in the first half, at the end of which they led by 1-5 to 0-4 thanks to an injury-time lobbed goal from Leo McLoone.

Their lead was constructed on the platform of a tight squeeze on the Gowna kick-out but as the match wore on, the Cavan side took over and with a two-point lead eked out by the 61st minute, they should have held on.

But in a dramatic late twist, Anthony Thompson floated a free into the danger area and wing-back Kevin McGettigan was on hand to smash it home through a maze of bodies.

Gowna were reliant on three outstanding strikes from Ryan Donohoe, Mark McKeever and Conor Casey (mark) to remain in touch at half-time, with Odhran Doherty (two), AJ Gallagher and Brendan McDyer adding points for Naomh Conaill.

But the Cavan side – beaten on penalties last year by Enniskillen Gaels - turned the game on its head after the break and out-played the experienced Glenties men. They held their opponents scoreless for the first 18 minutes, bagged a palmed Conor Brady goal and well worked scores from Conor Madden, Robbie Fitzpatrick and Cian Madden on the home stretch seemed to be enough.

Gowna were in the driving seat with time almost up – but Naomh Conaill have earned their reputation as a very hard team to beat and they proved it again with McGettigan’s decisive late intervention. The Donegal champions march on – just about.

Scorers for Gowna: C Brady (1-1), Cian Madden (0-2, 1f), Conor Madden (0-1), T Madden (0-1), R Donohoe (0-1), M McKeever (0-1), R Fitzpatrick (0-1), O Pierson (0-1,f), C Casey (0-1,m).

Scorers for Naomh Conaill: L McLoone (1-1), K McGettigan (1-0), AJ Gallagher (0-1), B McDyer (0-1), O Doherty (0-2), E Doherty (0-1), J MacCeallbhuí (0-1), C McGuinness, J O’Malley (0-1,f)

Gowna: R Bannon, F Brady, E Hartin, S Hartin, R McGahern, Conor Madden (0-1), Conor Brady (1-1), T Madden (0-1), R Donohoe (0-1), M McKeever (0-1), R Brady, R Fitzpatrick (0-1), O Pierson (0-1f), Cian Madden (0-2, 1f), C Casey (0-1m) 

Subs: D Madden for R Fitzpatrick (temp, 42, reversed 45), D Madden for O Pierson (60) 

Naomh Conaill: S McGrath, J Campbell, AJ Gallagher (0-1), U Doherty, K McGettigan (1-0), A Thompson, E O’Donnell, L McLoone (1-1), C Thompson, B McDyer (0-1), O Doherty (0-2), E Doherty (0-1), J MacCeallbhuí (0-1), C McGuinness, J O’Malley (0-1f) 

Subs: E Waide for J Campbell (50), M McDevitt for B McDyer (55), Keelan McGill for E Doherty (60) 

Ref: K Faloon (Armagh)