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Malin improve survival chances
11.09.08
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Buncrana...0-13 (Paul McGonigle 0-5 (4f) Odhran Doherty 0-4 (2f), Oisin Doherty (0-1), McConnell (0-1) Bradley (0-1), McDermott (0-1) ) Malin...2-08 (McColgan 1-1, Paul McLaughlin 1-0, Michael Byrne 0-2, Matthew Byrne 0-2, Anthony Kelly 0-2 (2f), McGonagle 0-1) by Simon McGeady at the Scarvey MALIN earned a vital win in their push to avoid the drop, whilst pulling Buncrana further away from promotion with this vital one point win at the Scarvey on Sunday afternoon. Michael Byrne struck in injury time at the end of the game to finally settle this contest in Malin’s favour. This win leaves Malin in second from bottom spot in division 1B, but a win over bottom placed Cloughaneely in the next couple of weeks will ensure they avoid automatic relegation. This game was equally vital for Buncrana as their faltering league form of late has harmed their chances of being involved in the promotion shake up at the end of the season, and while this loss doesn’t end their hopes of going up, a string of wins are now vital if the Scarvey side are to have any chance of going up to 1A with the league’s outstanding team, St Michaels. |
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There was much to admire in
this clash of Inishowen’s gaelic football titans, but
the usual needle that accompanied a high stakes match
between two sides from the peninsula was in evidence at
stages too, most notably in a flare up towards the end
of the first half that saw a red card produced for
substitute Benny McGee, who was not long on in relief of
Adrian McLaughlin when he received his marching orders. Odhran Doherty opened the scoring for the home side with a free but no sooner had Buncrana taken the lead than they were behind as, from the resulting kick out, Malin’s Michael Doherty won the ball cleanly and fed Paul McLaughlin who looked up and played a ball across goal that Paddy McColgan palmed into the net past the |
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stranded Noel O’Donnell.
Malin took the game to Buncrana after that and scored three points without reply from Matthew Byrne, Anthony Kelly (a free) and Brendan McGonagle to put the visitors up by a goal and three points to one point after only ten minutes. Buncrana came back well with Daire Irwin and the impressive Odhran Doherty to reduce the Malin lead to a goal half way through the first half. Buncrana then passed up a great chance to draw level and were punished for the miss when Michael Byrne and then Anthony Kelly stretched the Malin lead to five points once more with five minutes of the half remaining. The pendulum swung back in Buncrana’s favour momentarily as Christy McDermott and Ryan Bradley both scored fine points from play, but then came the skirmish that left Buncrana down a man and to compound their agitation, Matthew Byrne picked out Paul McLaughlin with a superb long kick and the Malin corner forward rounded his marker and slipped the ball underneath O’Donnell for Malin’s second goal. Although Paul McGonigle reliable left boot then made it 0-6 to 2-5, Clerkin’s men were left with it all to do in the second half. Buncrana came out all guns blazing in the second half as Gavin McConnell fisted over. Declan Walsh was then forced into conceding a free after Irwin found Bradley in front of goal 25 metres out, the Buncrana full forward’s strength on the ball evident for all to see. McGonigle reduced the deficit to a goal again and it looked as though Buncrana might immediately get it on the break when McGonigle found Daire Irwin in acres of space and with men in support only for Brendan McGonagle to take make a cynical but effective tackle on the Buncrana man for which he saw yellow, but perhaps prevented a goal. Malin were all at sea at this stage and they were picked apart more than once by substitute Oisin Doherty who hit Odhran Doherty for a couple for points and hit one himself for good measure. You could sense the equalising score was coming and, after Odhran Doherty passed up one chance Paul McGoingle took another, a dead ball kick left of centre, to make it 0-12 to 2-06 with seven minutes to go. A couple of minutes later the Buncrana comeback was complete when an early ball into Bradley was broken back to McGoingle and the former Donegal star made no mistake. Somehow, Buncrana were unable to kick on from here and they allowed Malin, whose confidence was low at this stage, a route back into the game. With the Scarvey boys unable to get near to the men in amber and black, chance after chance was given up and eventually Matthew Byrne fired his side level. Into injury time and Malin continued to press, although it looked as though their chance had gone when Anthony Kelly put a straightforward free wide and then Michael Byrne saw a shot cannon off the left upright and into the hands of a Buncrana defender. Malin were not to be denied, however, and right at the death Declan Walsh burst forward and fed Damien Ward who hit the onrushing Michael Byrne in space and this time he made no mistake to give his side a precious two points. Buncrana: Noel O’Donnell; Ronan Doherty, Matthew O’Donnell, Andrew McLaughlin; Simon McGrory, William McLaughlin, Stephen Rodgers; Paul McGonigle, Daire Irwin; Adrian McColgan, Odhran Doherty, Gavin McConnell; Christy McDermott, Ryan Bradley, Adrian Doherty. Subs: Brendan McGee for Andrew McLaughlin, Stephen McGonigle for Adrian McColgan, Oisin Doherty for Adrian Doherty Malin: Declan Lafferty; Kevin McColgan, Damian Harkin, Damian Ward; John McLaughlin, Charlie Byrne, Declan Walsh; Paddy Kelly, Anthony Kelly; Michael Doherty, Matthew Byrne, Brendan McGonagle; Paul McLaughlin, Michael Byrne, Paddy McColgan. Subs: Stephen McLaughlin form McGonagle, Robert Porter for J McLaughlin. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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