Seán Mac Cumhaills rose from the dead in the final minutes to fire over 3 unanswered points to record their first win of the year at the expense of visitors Buncrana.
Sean Mac Cumhaills 0-9 Buncrana 0-8
It was a game that was very tight and had both teams were 3 points apiece at half time which saw both teams nullifying each other in a tight game of football. It was Mac Cumhaills who could have been the happier side going in at half time but two goal chances went begging.
The visitors hit the mark with less than 20 seconds played when Peter McLaughin won the throw up and surged on through to point over.
Mac Cumhaills had their chance to draw level but a free went short of the bar and things looked positive for the hosts when Barney Lafferty slotted in Aaron Kelly but his goal bound chance just eked marginally wide.
Both teams were made to work very hard for their chances and a few Mac Cumhaills long range efforts for a score just missed out.
John Campbell and Shane McLean had two efforts fall wide and short at the Mac Cumhaills woodwork and Mac Cumhaills pushed for another 2 scores but fell unlucky once more.
John Campbell from a free and Kevin Campbell from an attack down the left put the visitors 3 points up and mounted pressure on the home side.
Mac Cumhaills breakthrough came on 18 minutes when Adam Lynch’s run down the right and his mastery of acute angles saw his effort glide over for his team’s opening score.
Mac Cumhaills had the next period of pressure and another opportunity at goal occurred after a Benny McLaughlin long range pin point pass in presented Stephen Mulligan with a chance but again it was not to be.
Mac Cumhaills went on to record the last two scores of the half with Barney Lafferty pointing over two frees but the visitors pushed and the defence had to be on alert to ensure a good platform to build on for the second half.
The tight nature of the first half followed into the second half with the visitors again taking the lead with Shane McLean getting his second of the game.
Barney Lafferty added his third of the game but Kevin Campbell replied for the visitors. Steven O’Reilly and Benny McLaughlin fired off two points after each other to put Mac Cumhaills in the lead for the first time in the game but Buncrana took the lead shortly after through a free from and point from play by Kevin Campbell and another free from Oisin O’Flaherty.
In such a tight game each and every score was valuable and Mac Cumhaills had to dig really deep in the final minutes to ensure they retrieved something from the game.
Gary Wilson pointed his first with less than 10 minutes left in the game and Mac Cumhaills harried and worked hard to get a leveller.
Efficient play from the home side ensured there were no senseless attempts at the visitor’s goal. A ball in was clutched by Barney Lafferty and an overhead kick sailed over for that all important leveller when things seemed darkest for the home side.
Buncrana pushed on to their credit to regain the lead and an alert back line from Mac Cumhaills squeezed any effort out.
Wilson proved to be the hero of the day when he broke through and fisted over that all important winning point to ensure Mac Cumhaills got the 2 match points and their first victory to the campaign.
