CHAMPIONS GLENSWILLY PROGRESSED to the quarter-finals of the RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta Donegal SFC following a bruising 1-4 to 1-2 win over St Michael’s on Saturday evening.
In a dour Group 4 struggle in which neither side managed to score so much as a single point from play, Martin McElhinney’s goal on 22 minutes had given the visitors from Dunfanaghy a 1-2 to 0-1 interval lead.
However, St Michael’s got stuck in their shells and tried to defend their lead and were punished when Michael Murphy slapped a goal from a booming ball from Neil Gallagher into the square to level the scores with 12 minutes to go.
Gary McFadden and Murphy wrapped up the two-point win, which was the exact margin Glenswilly needed.
Pre-championship favourites Kilcar, in the meantime, hammered Bundoran 5-15 to 0-3 with Young Footballer of the Year nominee Ryan McHugh netting four goals. But in the tightest of finishes, Rory Galllagher and John McNulty’s Kilcar, St Michael’s and Glenswilly all finished level on four points apiece from their three outings.
Glenswilly, with a +23 scoring difference, pipped St Michael’s to top spot as a consequence of scoring more, as Tony Wilkinson’s side also finished with +23 as well. Kilcar, on +21, were eliminated.
There was a shock in Group 3 as Termon, who started the final series of fixtures in last place, overcame Kevin Cassidy’s Gaoth Dobhair 0-14 to 1-9 to progress to the knock-out stages with Daire McDaid kicking six points. There was an element of confusion over the means of differentiating two teams level on points but a hastily arranged meeting of the CCC confirmed Termon’s progression due to their superior head-to-head record.
The group was won by Dungloe, who saw off last year’s beaten finalists Killybegs 0-9 to 0-7 at Rosses Park with 37-year-old Adrian Sweeney, an All-Star in 2003, scoring three points.
Naomh Conaill of Glenties topped Group 1 ahead of Letterkenny’s St Eunan’s following their 0-9 to 0-7 win yesterday. Dermot Molloy kicked four points for the eventual winners against Maxi Curran’s side, who rested Rory Kavanagh, Conall Dunne and Kevin Rafferty as both teams were already assured of their last eight berths. Malin avoided last place in the group and the relegation play-offs as they hammered Naomh Muire in Annagry 6-10 to 1-9.
Four Masters confirmed their top spot in Group 2 following a 2-13 to 0-7 victory at Glenfin on Saturday evening as 2012 Footballer of the Year Karl Lacey scored a rare goal for the side from Donegal Town. Kevin McBrearty was also a goalscorer. Ardara left no margin for error as they left Ballybofey with the point they required against Sean MacCumhaill’s for second place in the group. Ryan Melly and Gareth Concarr found the net in their 2-7 to 0-13 draw.
The draw for the quarter-finals was made last night, with Glenswilly paired with Termon, Naomh Conaill to meet Ardara in a south-west derby, Four Masters taking on St Eunan’s and Dungloe facing St Michael’s next weekend.
Quarter-final draw: Four Masters v St Eunan’s; Glenswilly v Termon, Dungloe v St Michael’s; Naomh Conaill v Ardara. Semi-final draw: Four Masters/ St Eunan’s v Dungloe / St Michael’s and Glenswilly/ Termon v Naomh Conaill/ Ardara.
Relegation play-offs: Killybegs v Bundoran; Naomh Muire v Glenfin.