GLENSWILLY BOOKED THEIR passage into the final of the Michael Murphy Sports & Leisure Donegal SFC.
Glenswilly 0-9 Malin 0-7
Semi-finals are for winning and nothing else and with that in mind, Glenswilly did what they had to do against a Malin team who had kept with them for long spells.
Michael Murphy (pictured above by Geraldine Diver), who scored four points, helped his side over the line but they were far from their best in a match that never really caught fire.
[adrotate group=”38″]Glenswilly have, though, developed a decent habit of doing just enough and that’s precisely what they did today at O’Donnell Park.
The sides went in level at the interval, 0-5 to 0-5 with Malin having enjoyed whatever wind there was. Their lightning-fast forwards, Stephen and Christopher McLaughlin, scored their first two scores before Brendan McLaughlin took over, kicking three more first half points.
There was never more than one point between the teams. Glenswilly’s first half scorers with Gary McFadden, from a free, Neil Gallagher and Michael Murphy landed three.
Glenswilly, managed by Michael Canning, went into the contest as heavy favourites to reach a fifth senior final in 11 seasons. However, the management team wouldn’t have been overly satisfied with their first half performance. Glenswilly had five wides, hit the upright and also dropped a ball short into the arms of Darren McLaughlin.
[adrotate group=”81″]With the wind, it was expected that Glenswilly would make the most of the likes of the likes of Murphy inside, although at the other end, Malin’s running game might’ve prospered against the elements.
Brendan McLaughlin, with his forth point, edged Malin one in front on 32 minutes only for Glenswilly to then go 0-7 to 0-6 up when Oisin Crawford scored a fine point and Gary McFadden popped over a free.
[adrotate group=”38″]Murphy bagged his fourth point following a neat turn some eight minutes from time at a stage in the match when the jitters might’ve been catching up with Malin, who scored just twice in the entire second half. The second of those point was when Brendan McLaughlin popped over his fifth point to leave one in it.
However, in the first of three minutes injury time, Neil Gallagher scored his second point of the day to widen the gap to two. Things got heated late on with players, management and even spectators even giving their tuppence worth and Malin’s Anthony Kelly saw red for a second yellow.
Glenswilly will need to improve but they’re where they want to be.
Glenswilly: James Gallagher; Cormac Callaghan, Eamon Ward, Ryan Diver; Ciaran Gibbons, Aidan McDevitt, Joe Gibbons; Neil Gallagher (0-2), Caolan Kelly; Oisin Crawford (0-1), Cathal Gallagher, Brian Farrelly; Kealan McFadden, Michael Murphy (0-4, 2f), Gary McFadden (0-2, 2f). Subs: Darren McGinley for Farrelly (36), Christopher McMonagle for K McFadden (40).
Malin: Darragh McLaughlin; Michael Fildara, Kieran McColgan, Gary Farren; Matthew Byrne, Declan Walsh, Damien Harkin; Adam Byrne, Anthony Kelly; Stephen Fildara (0-1), Brendan Fildara (0-5, 3f), Christy Fildara (0-1); Darren Mularkey, Seamus Houghton, Paul McLaughlin. Subs: Dan McDaid for Mularkey (46), Michael Byrne for Houghton (51), Conor Farren for G Farren (60).
Referee: Seamus McGonigle (Aodh Ruadh).
Tags:
