THE SIGHT OF St Michael’s Ciaran Kelly being taken away from Gaelic Park in Bundoran in an ambulance was a worry for all this afternoon.
Realt na Mara 0-17 St Michael’s 1-14
Kelly suffered an accidental head injury and was taken to Sligo Hospital but, thankfully, is said to be keeping well.
Photo caption: The Bundoran and St Michael’s players give a round of applause to St Michael’s Ciaran Kelly as he leaves Gaelic Park in Bundoran for Sligo Hospital this afternoon. Photo: @RealtNaMaraGAA
After a lengthy delay of 40 minutes, Bundoran secured a valuable point in their quest for Division 1 survival with a hard fought draw.
A Christy Keaney free put the home side in front. And although he retired from inter-county football, Colm McFadden replied with two fantastic points for the visitors.
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A Johnny Boyle point was soon added to from a Tommy Hourihane free before St Michael’s Daniel McLaughlin levelled matters on 14 minutes.
Almost immediately St Michael’s should have fashioned a goal but a Michael Langan’s palmed effort came crashing back off the crossbar and from the rebound Bundoran swept upfield and Alan Russell finished well for a point.
Then on 17 minutes the only goal of the game arrived courtesy of McFadden’s trusty left boot following a fantastic St Michael’s move.
The home side didn’t panic and hit the next three scores – they were all frees, two from Keaney and one from Hourihane.
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An excellent effort from Keelan McGee score tied the game. Then on 25 min a long range effort from McLaughlin had both umpires signalling a wide ball but referee Andrew Mullin overruled both and gave the visitors the score.
Barry McGowan levelled again before Michael Langan’s free gave St Michael’s their last score of the half. Two more frees from Keaney and Hourihane left the halftime score Realt na Mara 0-10 St Michaels 1-6.
The home side started brightly in the second half hitting the first four scores – two from the livewire Jamie Brennan and one each from Michael McEniff and Paul Brennan.
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Twelve minutes into the second half Michael Cannon finally registered St Michael’s first second half score but Jamie Brennan again replied brilliantly with another fine score.
Another Cannon free was soon added to by Christy Toye to make it a three-point game.Another Keaney free was again cancelled out by the ever reliable Toye.
Then on 49 minutes a collision occurred between two St Michael’s players resulting in Kelly requiring immediate medical attention.
When the game resumed it was St Michaels who had all the momentum and hit four points without reply, two from McFadden and two from Langan although the home side protested that Langan’s last point went wide.
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Also during this spell the young Bundoran keeper Conor Carty saved brilliantly from McFadden and the same player had an uncharacteristic miss from a volley in front of goals.
Then at the death a marvellous Brennan solo run saw him being hauled down for Keaney to kick an equalising score to give the men in black and amber a deserving share of the spoils.
Bundoran: Conor Carty; Matthew Ward, Peter McGonigle, Diarmuid McCaughey; Barry McGowan (0-1) Paul Brennan (0-1), Johnny Boyle (0-1); Michael McEniff (0-1) Ciaran McCaughey; Shane McGowan, Alan Russell (0-1) Jamie Brennan (0-3); Tommy Hourihane (0-3, 3f), Christy Keaney (0-6, 6f), Shane Moohan. Subs Darragh Hoey for Moohan; Niall Dunne for B McGowan, Niall Carr for Keaney (black card)
St Michael’s: Mark Anthony McGinley; Chris McElhinney, Stephen Black, Michael Gallagher; Liam Paul Ferry, Stephen Doak, Ciaran Gallagher; Michael Langan (0-3, 1f), Michael McGinley; Christy Toye (0-2) Martin McElhinney, Keelan McGee (0-1); Colm McFadden (1-4, 1f), Brian McLaughlin, Daniel McLaughlin (0-2). Subs: Michael Cannon (0-2, 1f) for Ferry, Ciaran Kelly for B McLaughlin, Peter Sweeney for Kelly.
Referee: Andrew Mullin (Killybegs)
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