Final score in Connolly Park – Malin 0-11 Letterkenny Gaels 0-08.
Both teams will have to improve a lot if they are to make progress in the latter stages of the intermediate championship but Malin will be happy to get the result without being anywhere near their best.
The first half of the opening game of Group B was a one sided affair with Malin leading by six at the break.
Letterkenny Gaels had to improve in the second half and they did and with a late goal chance to level saved to deny them the draw.
Malin opened the scoring on two minutes after patient keep ball play saw Conor O’Neill out on the right score from range.
They had to wait then until ten minutes for the next score when Shaun O’Neill marked and scored from the left. Another score followed from brother Conor cutting in from the left and slotting over to stretch the lead out to three. Matthew Byrne scored again for the home side with more joy up the left-hand side, again another impressive score from out wide thirty metres out. They then hit a great team score, Brendan McLaughlin put in a great ball to Conor O’Neill who instead of taking the mark fed the incoming Darragh Douglas and for a brief second thought about goal but then opted to extend the lead with a point and tapped over.
Terence Doherty extended Malin’s lead out to six as the Gaels had little to show for their opening twenty minutes bar two balls into the keeper’s hands and a wide from their goalkeeper from a free.
Doherty got a second score, jinking around a defender, after Brendan McLaughlin’s driven ball in. Letterkenny got on the mark two minutes from half time when they worked a good move down the field after a block and Cormac Cannon finished by driving over from the 21′.
The half time score read Malin 0-07 Letterkenny Gaels 0-01.
Conor McBrearty tapped over a free at the start of the second half from close range for the visitors and then the same player showed excellent handling to control a booming ball in and swivel his big strong frame around and drive over another.
The men from the Glebe were winning all the 50:50 balls at this stage and McBrearty scored his third a row with a great effort out the left knowing he had an advantage coming anyway.
Malin eventually got off the mark but it wasn’t until the 49th minute of the second half with Matthew Byrne scoring from the D.
Conor Farren, one of the home side’s most consistent players all year, then swung over another to stretch out the lead to five going into the last ten minutes. Though it was far from comfortable as Conor McBrearty freed from 40 metres to keep in touch.
Malin responded with a Conor O’Neill point after good work from Seamus Houghton. McBrearty freed again in a much improved second half for the visitors.
The returning Ronan Frain, not fit to start, scored another from play to leave just a goal in it with two minutes left. Ryan Graham scored a 45′ after Malin did well to hold out a goal chance with two blocks from Cormac Cannon’s efforts with a sea of bodies and keeper Mullarkey keeping the ball out around the post.
Brendan McLaughlin scored late on to seal a far from resounding victory but a win is a win in championship and Malin will no doubt lift it for their next match, an all-Inishowen clash with Buncrana next Sunday.
Malin scorers:
Conor O’Neill (0-03), Matthew Byrne (0-02), Terence Doherty (0-02), Conor Farren (0-01), Brendan McLaughlin (0-01), Sean O’Neill (0-01, 1m), Darragh Douglas (0-01)
Letterkenny Gaels scorers:
Conor McBrearty (0-05, 3f) Ronan Frain (0-01), Cormac Cannon (0-01) Ryan Graham (0-01, 1 45′)
Malin team: Daniel Mullarkey, Sean Byrne, Ciaran Doherty, Gary Farren, Paul McLaughlin, Conor Farren, Taylor Bonner, John Gerard McLaughlin, Sean O’Neill, Christopher McLaughlin, Matthew Byrne, Brendan McLaughlin, Conor O’Neill, Terence Doherty and Shaun Kelly. Subs used Darragh Douglas for Paul McLaughlin (17 mins), Adam McGonagle for Shaun Kelly (h/t), Josh Conlan for Sean O’Neill (40 mins), Seamus Houghton for TerenceDoherty (54 mins)
Letterkenny Gaels team: Ryan Graham, Ray Quinn, Niall Diver, Conor Browne, Liam McAlary, Conor Walker, Diarmuid O’Cathail, Darragh McBrearty, Paddy Doherty, Brian Diver, Darren Hunter, Peter Doherty, Cormac Cannon, Conor McBrearty and Shay Doherty. Subs used: Matthew Winters for Shay Doherty (15 mins), Ronan Frain for Peter Doherty (40 mins)
