GLENSWILLY HAD TOO much power and precision for Glenfin in a lukewarm Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta clash at Pairc Naomh Columba.
Glenswilly 3-12 Glenfin 1-04
Goals from Caoimhin Marley, Christopher McMonagle and Caolan Kelly gave Glenswilly a 14-point win over their An Gaeltacht Lár neighbours.
A Paddy O’Connor goal early on had given Glenfin the perfect start, but once Glenswilly found their groove it was one-way traffic.
They led 1-5 to 1-1 at half-time with Marley scoring late in the first half.
Picture caption: James Gallagher on the ball for Glenswilly against Glenfin. Picture by Geraldine Diver.
Gary McFadden stretched the lead with a point 26 seconds into the second period and a minute later the home side struck for another goal.
Darren McGinley’s pass across goal teed up McMonagle and although the big full-forward appeared to throw the ball to the ball to the net the goal was allowed stand.
Glenswilly kept the scoreboard ticking with McFadden, McGinley, Leon Kelly and Ciaran Bonner all on target.
Five minutes from the end, Glenswilly got in for the third major as McGinley and Caolan Kelly combined with Kelly expertly converting past Liam O’Meara.
Glenswilly had Gary McDaid back on the line again, alongside the manager, Michael Canning. Canning succeeded McDaid as manager following the 2014 season when the latter took up a position on the Donegal backroom team.
However, McDaid has since left that role and has returned to club matters to assist Canning.
Just three minutes in, Glenfin got in for the game’s opening goal. Daniel McGlynn sped in on the right-hand side, only to see his powerful shot well saved by Glenswilly goalkeeper James Gallagher, the former Finn Harps stopper.
O’Connor was following in and he applied the finish from the rebound, despite Gallagher’s best attempts.
Joe Gibbons had fired over Glenswilly’s opening point, but the visitors will have been the happier in the early exchanges, although a point by Jason Morrow, after they forced a good turnover, was the sum total of their efforts for the remainder of the first half.
McGlynn had a second goal chance, from a similar position as his first, but this time he shot into the side netting.
Glenswilly kicked seven first-half wides, but it was they who finished the half stronger, scoring 1-4 in the final nine minutes.
McFadden, McMonagle and two by Caolan Kelly put them in front for the first time and the struck gold with the final act of part one.
Brian Farrelly’s long ball looked to be drifting wide, but it was kept in by Ethan Sweeney, who laid across goal for Marley to apply the finish.
Glenswilly rammed home their advantage in the early moments of the second half and it was a useful outing for the winners with the showings of James Gallagher and Mark McAteer of particular note going forward.
Glenswilly: James Gallagher; Mark McAteer, Eamon Ward, Conor Boyce; Cathal Gallagher, Leon Kelly (0-1), Joe Gibbons (0-1); Ciaran Bonner (0-1), Caoimhin Marley (1-0); Caolan Kelly (1-2), Gary McFadden (0-5, 3f), Brian Farrelly; Paul O’Brien, Christopher McMonagle (1-1), Ethan Sweeney. Subs: Ciaran Gibbons, Ryan Diver, Oisin Crawford and Darren McGinley (0-1) for Boyce, J.Gibbons, Gallagher and O’Brien (half-time), Philip O’Donnell for Sweeney (46)
Glenfin: Liam O’Meara; Martin O’Donnell, Daniel Harkin, Daithi Carr; Aodhfin McGlynn, John Harkin, Kyle Doherty; Jason Marley, Stephen Ward; Daniel McGlynn (0-1), Paddy O’Connor (1-2, 2f), Jason Morrow (0-1); Ronan Carlin, Kevin McGlynn, Stephen McGlynn. Subs: Kieran Foy for Carlin (39), Dean Herron for Doherty (52).
Referee: Enda McFeely (St Mary’s, Convoy).
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