Killybegs clinched promotion to Division Two of the All County League with this hard earned victory over a hard working Buncrana team at St.Mary ‘s Park in Convoy.
Killybegs 0-14 Buncrana 0-12
By Charlie Collins in Convoy
John Cunningham’s team were frustrated when it was decided that a three team series of play-off games would be required to decide both the league winners and which other team would be promoted.
The latter will now be decided next week when Buncrana meet Naomh Brid but for Killybegs it is mission accomplished with promotion and Senior Championship status secured .
Killybegs started with three points in the first three minutes, Michael Gallagher and Ryan Cunningham from play and in between a super long range free from Hugh McFadden.
The next four scores were shared with John Campbell and Oisín Doherty frees for Buncrana and two Ryan Cunningham scores for Killybegs , one from a free to leave it 0-5 to 0-2 after 12 minutes.
After a scoreless five minutes Ben Bradley scored a cracking point to narrow the gap to two points and then when Darrach O Conner was dragged down in the big square Buncrana were awarded a penalty but Kevin Martin saved John Campbell’s poorly struck effort, a let-off for Killybegs.
Hugh McFadden pointed a free a minute later, Campbell replied with a free but McFadden pointed well from play to leave it 0-07 to 0-04 and that penalty looking costly at that stage.
Caolan McGonagle was next to produce an excellent score from long range to leave two points in it , but Ryan Cunningham’s fourth point of the game , this one a free left it 0-08 to 0-05 in Killybegs favour at half-time.
Oisín Doherty opened the second-half scoring with an excellent point from play and although McFadden pointed another free , Buncrana hit back with two John Campbell frees to leave just a point between the teams and game very much on.
Ryan Cunningham kicked another cracker from play for Killybegs but a minute later after Christopher Cunningham had received a black-card for the foul Caolan Mc Gonagle kicked a Brillant point from near the sideline to leave a point in it.
Three minutes later the teams were level when after super work by McGonagle, Oisín Doherty kicked an excellent point to make it 0-10 each.
We had a scoreless seven minutes before another before Hugh McFadden restored the Killybegs lead with a free but Caolan McGonagle replied immediately with another super free from distance and leave it 0-11 each.
Buncrana received a big blow when Oisín O’Flaherty was red-carded for a high tackle on Eoghan Ban Gallagher in the 51st minute.
Jack McSharry put Killybegs ahead again but Campbell’s free levelled it again in the 58th minute at 0-12 each.
Michael Gallagher finished a sweeping Killybegs move with a great score to restore the Killybegs lead and three minutes into injury time Hugh Mc Fadden pointed his 6th point of the match to make it a two point game and Killybegs league Champions after this tough encounter.
Buncrana: Sean Parker; Stephen Doherty, Conor Grant, Adrian McColgan; Aedan Stokes, William McLaughin, Ryan McElhinney; Caolan McGonagle (0-3, 2f), Peter McLaughlin; Adrian Doherty, Oisin Doherty (0-3), Oisin O’Flaherty; Ben Bradley (0-1), John Campbell (0-5f), Darach O’Conner .
Killybegs: Kevin Martin; Christopher Cunningham, Ciaran Conaghan, David McGuinness; Eoghan Ban Gallagher, John Ban Gallagher, Evan Broderick; Hugh McFadden (0-6, 5f), Jack McSharry (0-1); Ryan Carr, Daniel Breslin, Michael Gallagher (0-2); Christopher Murrin , Paul Cunningham, Ryan Cunningham (0-5, 3f). Subs: Brendan McGuire for Conaghan (black card, 39), Shaun Gorrell for P.Cunningham (55).
Referee: Siobhan Coyle (Gaeil Fhanda).
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