Downings Ben McBride scored deep into injury time to secure their intermediate football status as Buncrana were relegated to junior football in an incredible game at O’Donnell Park.
Downings 1-11 Buncrana 1-10
By Shaun Keenan at O’Donnell Park
Many were surprised when they heard these two teams were in a relegation play-off to begin with, and they showed why, as both played out an entertaining one-point thriller at O’Donnell Park.
Buncrana’s relegation will come as a shock to many across the county and Downings fast start did plenty of damage to that cause.
Downing’s kicked three points in the early stages before James McBride netted a first-half goal for Downings.
That being said it was a tight first period and Buncrana showed plenty of heart, responding with seven points of their own before the break – taking the lead through an Aedan Doherty goal just before the interval.
The Rosguill side drew first blood after 20 seconds, Eric Roberts kicked a score from close range to give Downings an early lead.
Two more points served notice of Downings intentions with scores from Loughlain Connor and Coalan McGonagle, giving Downings a three-point lead after three minutes.
After Buncrana hit back to with John Campbell adding the Inishowen sides first point of the game.
Buncrana should have taken the lead with a goal, but Darach O’Connor was denied by an excellent Brennan McGee save.
Aedan Doherty and John Campbell made the game level at 0-03 to 0-03 after 21 minutes following two well-placed free kicks.
Buncrana were building momentum and taking the game to Downings, who hit a number of wides and sprayed too many misplaced passes around O’Donnell Park.
Sooner or later it looked like Buncrana would punish Downings lack of dominate possession, but the game turned on its head.
Sean Parker made an absolute hash in the Buncrana goal and gifted Downings an unnecessary shot between the sticks and James McBride didn’t to be asked twice when he received the ball from Gary McClaffery
Buncrana had a chance to respond with a goal of their own but the indomitable McGee stood tall denying Aedan Stokes, who was clear on goal.
O’Connor eventually added Buncrana’s fourth score of the game before Aedan Doherty placed the ball into the bottom corner of the net, giving Buncrana a 1-04 to 1-03 lead at the break.
Early second-half scores Ryan McLaughlin and Keelin McGonagle extended Buncrana’s lead momentarily but Shay Coyle was on hand to close the gap with a solid point for Downings.
After 46 minutes, McGonagle hit a strong shot from the 45-yard line only for the ball to bounce awkwardly and if it wasn’t for McGee it was sailing towards the top corner.
Trying to find a way back into the game from their one-point deficit, Loughlain Connor has a glorious chance to give Downings the lead they craved with only ten minutes remaining.
Through on goal, Connor’s close-range shot, without interruption, nailed the woodwork in dramatic fashion and you could feel the energy being sapped from the Downings support.
The game continued and the nerves were starting to manifest. Neither side wanted to be on losing end of this one and it showed as Keelin McGonagle secure another point for Buncrana to open up a healthy looking two-point gap.
With five minutes to go, Downings found a second coming as they scored two rapid scores through Connor and Roberts – it was a one-point game with three minutes left.
But the impetus firmly belonged to Buncrana, or so it looked like, as McGonagle, who was brilliant for the Inishowen side all afternoon, gave Buncrana a 1-09 to 1-07 lead.
In injury time, three heroic points from Eric Roberts and two Loughlain Connor free-kicks gave Downings a magnificent and the most unlikely of leads 1-10 to 1-09.
Buncrana wasn’t down just yet though, as Oisin Doherty made the incredible relegation playoff level deep into injury time – a well worked point from Buncrana under intense pressure.
However, the pressure cooker combusted in the third minute of added time when Ben McBride secure a last ditched point for Downings with the last kick of the game, maintaining Downing intermediate rank and sending Buncrana down to junior football next year – what a game.
