Aside from a brief spell in the second-half, Gaoth Dobhair more or less had it all their own way. Declan Walsh netted a first-half own goal and Padraig McGarvey, who ended up with 1-5 to his name, scored a second on 43 minutes.

Malin trailed by nine (1-9 to 0-3) at the break, but were thrown right back into the melting pot again inside three minutes of the re-start as Martin Lafferty goaled and Michael Doherty pointed, only for Gaoth Dobhair to hit 1-3 inside the following ten minutes. Gaoth Dobhair, without the suspended Jonathan Harkin as well as the injured James Carroll and Tomas Diver, were boosted in the lead-up with the news that the influential Ronan MacNiallais opted to play. MacNiallais, who had been on the Donegal panel during the McKenna Cup and National League, had been rumoured to be on his way to Boston, before the game. While the player may yet take up an offer to go Stateside, Sean Nancy Gallagher and company were lifted by his availability for the first leg.

Malin were first out of the dressing rooms and the ire of the homesters was raised when they chose to warm-up on the clubhouse end of the park - their traditional warm-up end. Upon Gaoth Dobhair’s emergence there followed a few jostles in scenes not too unlike the infamous Mayo-Dublin incident from a few years back. When the action got underway, it was Gaoth Dobhair who took the initiative and by the interval an own goal from Declan Walsh helped them into a handsome 12-point advantage. Colin Ferry sped away from John McLaughlin and Charlie Byrne, before sending the ball in. Walsh looked to have the situation under control, but the ball skidded out of his clutches and past Declan Lafferty. James Gallagher tapped over a free to leave it 1-09 to 0-03 as the teams parted.

Gaoth Dobhair made most of the early hay, two pointed frees from Padraig McGarvey and a fisted effort from Colin Ferry preceding Malin’s first point from Patrick McColgan on seven minutes. Gary Farren and Michael Doherty scored Malin’s only other points of the first-half, though Anthony Kelly did roll one effort on goal narrowly wide when Christopher Sweeney opted to come for a high ball and it broke for the Malin forward.
Ronan MacNiallais landed one of the points of the game with a sweeping effort from just beyond the ‘45’ while Padraig McGarvey, Joe Duffy, James Gallagher and McGarvey again registered before the opening goal came in the dying moments of the half.

There were a few jitters from the home fans when Martin Lafferty reacted quickest to tap in at the back post for a Malin goal two minutes into part two. The ball squeezed out of Neil McGee’s hands, Lafferty fed Gary Farren, who watched his shot rebound back of the post, but Lafferty was on hand to bury the follow-up. When Michael Doherty scored from distance, the travelling contingent must have thought there was a way back. But Gaoth Dobhair showed their worth by responding in style, Cathal Mulligan, Colin Ferry and Joe Duffy with points before goal number two came on 43 minutes. Joe Duffy paved a way to goal for himself, only to see his powerful strike cannon off the crossbar. McGarvey was alert to the breaking ball and he picked up the pieces to steer home. Three Anthony Kelly frees and one from play by Michael Byrne did little to bring Malin back into it and despite their best efforts to claw something back, McGarvey drew the curtain on proceedings with a late free.

It's back to Connolly Park on Saturday night and, while Malin will be better equipped on the home turf, Gaoth Dobhair should be able to do enough to advance without the need for a third game. Malin had decent displays from Michael Doherty, Anthony Kelly and Michael Byrne yesterday, but with Kevin Cassidy, Ronan MacNiallais, Joe Duffy, Colin Ferry and Padraig McGarvey on top of things Gaoth Dobhair were never in any serious trouble.

Malin Team
Declan Lafferty; John McLaughlin, Declan Walsh (1-0, own goal), Robert Porter; Charlie Byrne, John McLaughlin, Daniel Green; Paddy Kelly, Michael Doherty (0-2); Gary Farren (0-1), Damien Harkin, Michael Byrne (0-1); Anthony Kelly (0-3, 3f), Martin Lafferty (1-0), Patrick McColgan (0-1). SUB: Conor Farren for John McLaughlin (52 mins).

Gaoth Dobhair Team
Christopher Sweeney; Ciaran Ferry, Neil McGee, Danny Curran; Mickey Curran, Kevin Cassidy, Eamon McGee; Ronan MacNiallais (0-1), Peter McGee; Cathal Mulligan (0-1), Joe Duffy (0-2), Fionnan Diver; Colin Ferry (0-2), James Gallagher (0-2, 1f), Padraig McGarvey (1-5, 3f). SUBS: James Carroll for Mulligan (45 mins); Sean Diver for Colin Ferry (55 mins); Brian McGee for Diver (55 mins).

Reserves: Gaoth Dobhair 1-14 Malin 0-03

County Minor Owen Ward hit a deadly 1-4 as a strong looking Gaoth Dobhair reserve team eased to a first-leg victory over Malin on Sunday. Malin failed to trouble the scoreboard operator in the second-half, the sum total of their efforts being three first half frees. Gaoth Dobhair led 0-9 to 0-3 when Ward played a clever one-two with Paul Curran and thundered a sweet effort to the net and put the game out of sight.

Malin had taken the lead through a William Logan free on six minutes, but the hosts were level when Shane Barr stroked over a free of his own and full-back Michael McKelvey stepped up to send over a 45-metre free to put them ahead. Owen Ward extended the advantage from play, but having kicked five wides Gaoth Dobhair were just one ahead when Christopher McLaughlin knocked a ‘45’ over the black spot. Noel Kelly burst through and, with a slight chance of a three-pointer, fired over the bar, only for Logan to hit back. Little did the Inishowen team realise, but that would be their last point of the game.

Barr scored three after the change of ends and McKelvey and ward were also on the mark before Ward struck gold on 44 minutes with the goal. Ward quickly added a point from play and the merciless hosts closed comfortably with Ward, Noel Kelly, James Sweeney and Paul Ferry hitting points. The game ended with Noel Kelly walking off with what appeared to be a nasty shoulder injury.

Malin Reserve Team
Ruairi Kelly; Mick McLaughlin, Neil McGilloway, Finbar Collins; Gerard Green, Brendan McLaughlin, Aidan Gallagher; Paddy McLaughlin, Liam Lafferty; Christopher McLaughlin (0-1, 1f), William Logan (0-2, 2f), Danny Lafferty; Stephen McLaughlin, Terence Colhoun, Martin Ward.

Gaoth Dobhair Reserve Team
Sean Sweeney; Sean McGarvey, Michael McKelvey (0-2, 2f), Manus Weed; Paul Ferry (0-1), John McGinley, Colman MacCumhaill; Thomas Friel, Michael McCafferty; Noel Kelly (0-2), Ciaran McBride, Paul Curran; Shane Barr (0-4, 3f), Owen Ward (1-4), John Ivors. Subs: David McGee for McGarvey; Paul Mulligan for Ivors; Padraig Duffy for Friel; Charlie Boyle for Barr; James Sweeney (0-1) for Curran.

(Reports by Chris McNulty)