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Kevin Cassidy's goal helped Gaoth Dobhair keep Cross at bay. Declan Roughan/INPHO

Ó Baoill hat-trick steers Gaoth Dobhair past Ulster giants Crossmaglen into first provincial final

Donegal champions held off resurgent Cross to set up decider against Scotstown.

Gaoth Dobhair 4-11

Crossmaglen Rangers 0-16

Declan Bogue reports from Healy Park, Omagh

FOR THE FIRST time ever, Gaoth Dobhair have made it to an Ulster club final where they will meet Monaghan’s Scotstown.

And any questions of their credentials in this first foray into Ulster were met with an emphatic trouncing of Crossmaglen Rangers, who simply had no answer to the Donegal men’s slick passing game and their ability to expose the long-established practice of Cross playing a traditional-type game.

Three first-half goals from Dáire Ó Baoill brought them into a nine-point lead after 25 minutes, two coming at the end of a long run and a calm finish beyond Cross keeper Jamie McEvoy.

Ó Baoill’s third was a penalty converted after Cian Mulligan was upended in the area by Garvan Carragher.

Cross came back strong and turned the screw to narrow the gap to five by half time.

However, their hopes were dealt the worst blow when a careless high tackle from Johnny Hanratty – already on a yellow – left them a man down.

The game was put to bed by Kevin Cassidy, who had a storming second half with two points from play, when he fastened onto a loose ball that came down off the post to slam his shot home.

Scorers for Gaoth Dobhair: D Ó Baoill (3-0, 1-0 penalty), K Cassidy (1-2), O MacNiallais (0-4, 1 free), E Colm (0-2, 1 free), N Friel, C Mulligan, S ÓFearraigh (0-1 each)
Scorers for Crossmaglen: R O’Neill (0-9, 5 frees), O O’Neill (0-3, 1 free), K Carragher (0-2), T Kernan (0-2, 1 free), J Hanratty (0-1)

Gaoth Dobhair

1. Christopher Sweeney

2. Gary McFadden
3. Neil McGee
4. Christopher McFadden

5. Niall Freil
24. Eamon McGee
7. O McFadden-Ferry

8. Dáire Ó Baoill
9. Odhrán MacNiallais

10. Cian Mulligan
11. Naoise Ó Baoill
12. Dan McBride

13. Eamon Colm
14. Kevin Cassidy
15. Michael Carroll

Subs:

22. Peter McGee for McBride (43 mins)
17. James Carroll for Colm (47 mins)
18. Séamus ÓBaoill for McFadden-Ferry (52 mins)
20. Seaghan ÓFearraigh for N Ó Baoill (58 mins)
Conor McClafferty for E McGee (64 mins)

Crossmaglen

1. Jamie McEvoy

17. Rico Kelly
3. Alan Farrelly
21. Garvan Carragher

5. Aaron Kernan
6. James Morgan
7. Paul Hughes

8. Stephen Morris
9. Oisín O’Neill

10. Johnny McKeever
11. Rian Ó’Neill
25. Johnny Hanratty

28. Callum Cumiskey
14. Tony Kernan
15. Kyle Carragher

Subs:

2. Aidan Rushe for G Carragher (28 mins)
18. David McKenna for McKeever (H-time)
29. Cian McConville for T Kernan (46 mins)
12. Padraig Stuttard for Hughes (48 mins)
27. Mel Boyce for Carragher (59 mins)

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)

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