MALIN HAD 10 points to spare over Glenfin to assure themselves of top spot in the Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Group C.
Malin 2-20 Glenfin 1-13
Glenfin opened the scoring straight from the throw in when Paddy O’Connor’s long ball in was won by Gerard Ward who shot over from the right.
Conor McBride added a 45’ after Stephen Carr’s goal-bound shot was deflected wide. Brendan McLaughlin opened Malin’s account after running onto Seamus Houghton’s knockdown though Conor McBride replied right away when he tapped over a free which was won by Gerard Ward.
Seamus Houghton finished off a lovely team score for Malin with quick hand-pass interchanges involving Damien Harkin, Paul McLaughlin and Anthony Kelly. He got his second point shortly after, getting his fist to Brendan McLaughlin’s dropped shot.
[adrotate group=”81″]Gerard Ward came back with a free, which he had won himself. Matthew Byrne levelled up the scores driving over the bar and he then gave the home side the lead after he and Anthony Kelly worked a short free.
Glenfin then hit the front when Michael McGlynn slotted home a goal after full-forward Stephen Ward won a long ball in and did well to find McGlynn who calmly stroked the ball past McLaughlin’s left in the Malin goal. Stephen McLaughlin responded right away for Malin with a score from the left.
[adrotate group=”74″]The last 10 minutes off the half saw scores of great quality from both sides in a very open game. Conor McBride scored from the left before Matthew Byrne kept Malin in touch with another driven effort after good work from McLaughlin. Darren McLarkey levelled the scores with a great point from the left before Malin went ahead through Anthony Kelly, who after some quick passing, broke through and stroked over.
Stephen Carr responded with a good score of his own, beating his man and slotting over with his left foot. Matthew Byrne scored under pressure from the left and Declan Walsh hit a sublime effort with the outside of his boot from the 45’.
Carr got his second point under severe pressure from out in the left in response. Malin then scored a goal on 27 minutes when Stephen and Brendan McLaughlin’s interplay set up Seamus Houghton who had his initial effort well saved.
But he scooped home the rebound from the ground high into the net to give the home side a four point lead heading towards half time. Brendan McLaughlin cancelled out Gerard Ward’s free to leave the halftime score Malin 1-12 Glenfin 1-8.
Darren McLarkey opened the scoring in the second half with a free from the ground after Stephen McLaughlin had been fouled. Glenfin then had their best spell of the game hitting four points without reply and also having a few goal chances.
Firstly Paddy O’Connor slotted over after being fed by Conor McBride. McBride then added free, after which Malin lost Anthony Kelly to a black card. The visitors also hit the crossbar after McGlynn passed the ball across to Ward whose punch rebounded back for the Malin defence to clear.
Michael McGlynn squeezed an effort over with the outside of his boot under pressure and he then added another looping around out from the corner and scoring after a strong run from Patrick McGrath to bring Glenfin back to a point.
Malin then won a penalty when Stephen McLaughlin’s direct run at the Glenfin defence seen him brought down with David Carr’s day ended with a black card. Brendan McLaughlin’s penalty was well enough struck but Liam O’Meara made an excellent save down to his right.
Paul McLaughlin then stepped up to halt the Glenfin momentum, firstly he slotted over the resulting 45’ after O’Meara’s save, he scored from play after a run down the right and took over free taking duties, scoring from the ground when brother Stephen had been brought down again.
[adrotate group=”53″]Darragh McLaughlin made a reaction save after a long ball was flicked on by McBride with 10 minutes left. Darren McLarkey ran through, working a one-two with Dan McDaid and finished off the move from twenty yards out. Paul McLaughlin helped himself to another 45’ after Kieron McColgan’s wayward goal effort hit a Glenfin leg on its way out.
Seamus Houghton punched for the second time in the game, making sure Dan McDaid’s shot went over the bar and not short. Gerard Ward hit a late point for the visitors from a central area but it was to be only a late consolation. Paul McLaughlin got his fifth point of the second half when his goal effort was saved and the ball rebounded off him and somehow managed to go over the bar.
Malin put a gloss on the scoreline when Stephen McLaughlin ran straight at the heart of the Glenfin defence deep into injury time and his looped effort deceived O’Meara to get Malin’s second goal and see the team top group C and advance to the quarter finals of the senior championship for the second year in a row.
Malin: Darragh McLaughlin; Michael McLaughlin, Conor Farren, Gary Farren; Kieron McColgan, Declan Walsh (0-1), Paul McLaughlin (0-5, 2 ’45’, 1f); Adam Byrne, Anthony Kelly (0-1); Stephen McLaughlin (0-1), Matthew Byrne (0-4), Darren McLarkey (0-3, 1f), Brendan McLaughlin (0-2), Seamus Houghton (1-3), Damien Harkin. Subs: Christopher McLaughlin for Darren McLarkey (38), Dan McDaid for Anthony Kelly (44, black card).
Glenfin: Liam O’Meara; Martin O’Donnell, Gary Herron, David Carr; Jason Morrow, Stephen McLaughlin, Kyle Doherty; Paddy O’Connor (0-1), Patrick McGrath; Daniel McGlynn, Michael McGlynn (1-2), Stephen Carr (0-2); Conor McBride (0-5), Stephen Ward, Gerard Ward (0-3).
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