MALIN V ST.MICHAELS. The home team got off to a flying start with four unanswered points in the first eight minutes, two each from Benny Fildara and Matthew Byrne, three of those from play. St. Michaels finally hit back with two points in a minute, Daniel Mc Laughlin and Hugh O Donnell both from play, and then four in four minutes from the 17th minute had them in front, O Donnell, Andrew Kelly, Christy Toye and Colm Mc Fadden all kicked excellent scores from play to make it 0-06 to 0-04 to the visitors after twenty minutes of good action. Martin Mc Elhinney and Daniel Mc Laughlin made it eight in a row from play for Michaels and a four point lead. Malin ended a barren spell without a score with Benny Fildara’s close range free but a minute later a telling blow from the visitors as Daniel Mc Laughlin burst through before setting up Andrew Kelly who blasted to the net. The impressive Hugh O Donnell added his third point of the game and on the stroke of half-time St,Michaels made it a big ten point lead when Ciaran Gallagher and Colm Mc Fadden exchanged passes before Gallagher fed Liam Paul Ferry who blasted a piledriver past Martin Mc Laughlin and creating a feeling of game over at 2-09 to 0-05. That was further enhanced in the first minute of the second-half when Andrew Kelly fouled close to goal after Christy Toye had contested a high ball and it fell to Kelly who was dragged back by a defender, Colm Mc Fadden confidently dispatched the spot-kick to the top corner. Benny Fildara and Matthew Byrne got points for Malin but in between Colm Mc Fadden clipped over a beauty with the outside of his left foot. In the 42nd minute we had the move and score of the game as St.Michaels swept forward and the ball went through six pairs of hands before Colm Mc Fadden palmed it to the net from two yards out to make it 4-10 to 0-07. Mc Fadden got two more goals, one from a penalty and the other when Martin Mc Elhinney set him up as St.Michaels continued to dominate and run out easy winners and table toppers in Group A and set for Pot One in the Quarter-Final draw on Monday. MALIN : Martin Mc Laughlin, Gary Farren, Damian Harkin, Conor Farren, Declan Walsh, Ciaran Mc Colgan, Paul Mc Laughlin(0-1),, Shaun Kelly, Christy Fildara, Dan Mc Daid, Matthew Byrne( 0-5 ), , Seamus Doherty, Benny Fildara ( 0-43f), Seamus Houghton, Michael Byrne. SUBS; Oisín Mc Gonagle for Michael Byrne ( 35mins), Darren Mullarky (1-0) for McDaid ( 45mins). ST.MICHAEL’S : Mark Anthony Mc Ginley, Liam Kelly, Michael Mc Ginley, Michael Gallagher, Ruairi Friel, Ciaran Gallagher, Oisín Langan, Martin Mc Elhinney0-1), Liam Paul Ferry (1-2) Chris Mc Elhinney, Colm Anthony Mc Fadden( 4-2), , Daniel Mc Laughlin (0-3), Hugh O Donnell(0-3), Christy Toye (0-1), Andrew Kelly( 1-1). SUBS : Odhran Mc Fadden for Kelly ( 48mins ), Brian Mc Laughlin for Mc Fadden ( 53mins). REFEREE: Seamus Mc Gonigle
Chris McNulty
Author of 'Boxing In Donegal: A History (2021)' - the definitive history of the sport in County Donegal - and 'Relentless: A Race Through Time', the 2019 memoir of former Irish Athletics Team Manager Patsy McGonagle. From St Johnston and now based in Letterkenny, Chris was a nominee for NUJ Sports Journalist of the Year in 2010. Honoured by the Donegal Boxing Board in 2016 for his coverage on the sport.