Ulster Senior Football club championship final
Gaoth Dobhair (Donegal) v Scotstown (Monaghan)
When Gaoth Dobhair take to the field this Sunday at Healey Park, Omagh to face Scotstown of Monaghan in the Ulster Club final there is likely to be more than a passing interest from South West Antrim on the fortunes of the Donegal champions.
Quite a number of the Gaoth Dobhair team played over the last two years as Donegal champions at the prestigious Paddy McLarnon U21 tournament held at Kickham’s GAC Creggan, a tournament that the Saffron Gael cover and we got to see for ourselves just what an array of young talent the Donelgal Gaeltach side was producing.
Gary McFadden, Niall Friel, Michael Carroll, Naoise O’Boill, Odhran McFadden-Ferry, Gavin McBride, Eamon Collum and Daire O’Boill were all part of the successful team who defeated Lavey in the 2018 final and it was obvious that this team was something special.
Gaoth Dobhair went on to win the Donegal Senior championship this year with last year’s U21 players very much to the fore and we got another up close look at them when they met Erin’s Own Cargin in the first round of this year’s Ulster club championship.
They were given a run for their money by the Antrim champions before emerging victorious by four points and went on to beat Crossmaglen Rangers convincingly in the semi-final. Daire O’Boill was the Gaoth Dobhair hero against the Armagh men scoring a hat-trick of goals including a penalty.
Should Gaoth Dobhair go on to beat the favourites, Scotstown in the final it would be reasonable for those involved in that wonderful tournament at the Staffordstown Road to claim, ‘This side was made in Gaoth Dobhair but was fine tuned in Creggan’.
Gaoth Dobhair SFC V Cargin: Christopher Sweeney, Gary Mc Fadden, Neil Mc Gee, Christopher Mc Fadden, Niall Friel, Ciaran Gillespie, Seamus Boyle (0-01), Daire Boyle, Eamon Mc Gee (0-01), Cian Mulligan (1-01), Naoishe Boyle, Donal Mc Bride, Eamon Collum (0-03), Kevin Cassidy (1-03), Michael Carroll (1-02)
Subs: Peadar Mc Hugh for Ciaran Gillespie, Seamus Carvill for D Mc Bride, Stephen Ferry for E Collum
Gavin Mc Bride for N Boyle,E Collum for G Mc Bride (black card)
U21 v Lavey: Gaoth Dobhair: Charles Doherty; Ciaran McHugh; Gary McFadden; Ryan Kelly; Conor McCafferty; Niall Friel; Neasán Mac Gíolla Bhride; Michael Carroll; Odhran McFadden-Ferry; Naoise Ó Baoill; Cian Mulligan (3-0); Daire Ó Baoill (0-1); Seaghan Ferry; Gavin McBride (0-6, 5 f’s); Eamonn Collum (1-0)
Subs: Conor Boyle for E Collum (60 mins)
Action and presentations from this year’s U21 tournament at Creggan