McGee magic drives Donegal to Boston Senior Championship in dramatic fashion

Donegal players celebrate following their win in the Senior Championship final in Canton. Photos: Neil McDaid

placeholder image — Donegal players celebrate following their win in the Senior Championship final in Canton. Photos: Neil McDaid

Cloughaneely and Donegal midfielder Jason McGee put in a man of the match performance as Donegal Boston overturned a four-point deficit against Connemara Gaels to win the Boston Senior Championship in Canton

Donegal Boston came out on top in the Boston GAA Senior final at Canton on Sunday in the most frantic of finishes.

Donegal Boston 1-17 Connemara Gaels 1-16

Donegal came from four down in the final four minutes and injury time with Jason McGee producing an excellent performance in the middle of the field, scoring the vital goal to turn the tide, four points and even managed to see red in the last seconds.

The Donegal team started with Hugh Yank Boyle from Naomh Muire; Killybegs' Jason Noctor captained the side, Cory Gallagher from Dungloe, brothers Conor and Shane O’Donnell of St Eunan’s and Cloughaneely’s McGee, with Domhnall MacGiolla Bhríde of Gaoth Dobhair a second half substitute.

Donegal started slowly and James Darcy and Daniel Kerr scored the opening two scores for the Galway side, before Donegal midfielder McGee got his team’s first score with a punch on 10 minutes. He added two more after Daniel Lyman and Kerr had put over, meaning a Connemara Gaels lead of 0-4 to 0-3 on 14 minutes.

Sean Kelly, the Galway captain, joined up with the Connemara Gaels last month and started on the bench. However, 14 minutes in he was introduced. Former Dublin footballer Shane Carthy, who lined out for New York in their Connacht SFC win over Leitrim in the summer, levelled for Donegal, who had lost out to Aidan McAnespies in the decider 12 months ago.

Shane O’Donnell’s point on 22 minutes put Donegal in front for the first time and Darragh Roche pointed to establish a 0-6 to 0-4 lead before Boyle in goal saved a goalbound shot from Simon Garrity. A free from Daniel Kerr, Lyman’second of the day and Mikey Kerr made it 0-7 to 0-6 to Connemara at half-time.

A fine point from Thomas Galligan made it 0-7 to 0-7 after the restart, before Daniel Kerr and Carthy swapped scores. Emmet McMahon for Connemara and David Garland of Donegal posted scores to make it 0-9 to 0-9.

Again though, it was Connemara pushing the case and Simon Garrity edged them back in front, then McMahon putting them 0-11 to 0-9 ahead. McGee drove Donegal on again to pull one back and Roche made it 0-11 apiece and all to play for with 13 to play.

Substitute Tommy Gill, James Darcy Lyman and made it 0-14 to 0-11 for Connemara on 50 minutes and it looked to be slipping for Donegal. A free from David Garland and Cian O’Grady’s back-to-back points got Donegal back to parity at 0-14 to 0-14, with six minutes left.

Darcy’s free and then goal from Kelly’s assist on 56 minutes looked to have won it for Connemara, 1-15 to 0-14, only for McGee to strike a goal for Donegal from the very next play, leaving just a point between them. Carthy then split the posts from an acute angle to level the scores and with only 90 seconds left.

In a tense finish, Garrity missed a chance to put Connemara ahead in the dying embers and Donegal worked the kickout to perfection for Roche to score with a brilliant effort before O’Grady made it a two-point game. In the third minute of injury time, following another Kelly break, Connemara won a free on the edge of the square and Darcy popped the kick over to leave one between the sides, amid a clutter of late challenges and McGee was sent off for one with seconds to play. However, Donegal defended for their lives and held on to win by the minimum.

Donegal Boston scorers: Jason McGee 1-4, 45; Darragh Roche 0-4; Cian O’Grady and Shane Carthy 0-2, Shane O’Donnell and Thomas Galligan 0-1, David Garland 0-1, 1f.

Connemara Gaels scorers: James Darcy 1-4, 3f; Daniel Kerr 0-4, 2f; Daniel Lyman 0-3; Emmet McMahon 0-2, Mikey Kerr, Simon Garrity and Tommy Gill 0-1

Donegal Boston: Hugh Yank Boyle; Jason Noctor, Seanie Maloney; Cory Gallagher, Conor O’Donnell, Sean Winston; Thomas Galligan, Jason McGee; Ciaran McDevitt, Shane O’Donnell, Shane Carthy; David Garland, Darragh Roche. Subs: Cian O’Grady for Roche (26); Roche for O’Grady (40), Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhríde and O’Grady for S O’Donnell and Garland (45), Ethan McDevitt for C McDevitt (60+4)

Connemara Gaels: James Keoghan; Ronan Lanigan, Eoighain Murray; Coleman Mulkearin, Jack Lynch, Mikey Kerr; Paul Keaney, Nathan Donnelly; James Darcy, Emmet McMahon, Daniel Lyman; Daniel Kerr, Simon Garrity. Subs: Sean Kelly for Keaney (14), Seanie Conneely for Mulkearin (40), AJ Maguire and Tommy Gill for M Kerr and D Kerr (42), Caolan McGann for McMahon (51)

Referee: James Molloy