Malin and Buncrana can’t be separated in all-Inishowen Division 1 clash

The first all-Inishowen Division 1 clash in an age ended with the spoils shared between Malin and Buncrana at Connolly Park on Thursday night.

Along with Kilcar, the two Inishowen sides are fighting to stave off relegation from the top tier. The draw benefits Buncrana, who sit on 5 league points and have three games remaining, a little more than Malin who have just two games left and are on 3 points. Kilcar, too, are on 3 points with three games remaining.

The bottom two sides will be relegated, with third from bottom going into a relegation play-off.

There’s a bit of football still to be played, then, before the final placings are decided, and the respective managers will be hoping that their teams can replicate the quality and intensity of a hard fought second half where play swung from end to end and the lead changed hands a couple of times before a last gasp point from Buncrana’s Michael Bernard McLaughlin sealed the draw.

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As starts go, Buncrana’s could hardly have been much better. Ciaran O’Kane had opened the scoring for Malin, but Buncrana’s long ball into the square tactic paid dividends.

John Campbell bundled a long Peter McLaughlin pass into the net in the eighth minute, and not long after it took a diving block from Damien Harkin to deny him a second, albeit Campbell pointed on the follow up.

Buncrana were on top, but their radar was off and they hit five wides in the opening quarter.

It only encouraged Malin and they got their first goal through Ben Curley, who fisted to the net at the second attempt after Buncrana failed to deal with a dropping shot from Darragh Douglas.

A Josh Conlon free and a fine point from the left from Douglas had Malin 1-3 to 1-1 clear, and when Darragh Corry took Christopher McLaughlin down in the big square referee Pat Barrett had no hesitation in awarding a penalty that Paul McLaughlin fired hit to the net beyond Harrigan to open up a five point lead.

Buncrana whittled that back to two points by half time, JP McKenna and Liam Jordan pointing from play with John Campbell hitting two frees, with Ryan McGeoghegan getting Malin’s final point of the half and they led by 2-4 to 1-5 at the break.

Campbell tapped over a 20m free after Malin were caught with just two forwards in attack, and Michael Bernard McLaughlin – who contributed four fine points from play in after coming on early in the second half – had them level by the 38th minute.

Christopher Fildara and Michael Bernard exchanged points before Buncrana keeper Adam Harrigan made an important double stop off Ciaran O’Kane who had goal on his mind.

Buncrana took advantage, with Sean McLaughlin hitting points on either side of another 20m free tapped over by Campbell, this time awarded by referee Pat Barrett for some needless shouting from the Malin sideline, and Buncrana’s lead was up to three points with ten minutes remaining.

But Malin, spurred on by fresh legs from the substitutes’ bench, responded superbly.

Points from Conlon, Christopher McLaughlin and Ciaran O’Kane, the latter after a powerful drive through the centre, drew them level, and while Michael Bernard edged Buncrana ahead in the 54th minute, substitute Sean O’Neill hit a two pointer to restore Malin’s lead.

Neither side would yield as the sun went down at Connolly Park. Bill McLaughlin hit a fine point from the left to draw Buncrana level, but Josh Conlon broke two tackles to put Malin ahead again.

Michael Bernard equalised as the clock ticked towards 60 minutes and the impressive Darragh Douglas looked to have won it for Malin 90 seconds into injury time.

But, appropriately enough given the impact he’d made since coming in, the final word went to Michael Bernard McLaughlin who received a quickly taken free and steadied himself before hitting the equaliser.

Honours even at the end of a pulsating match, but it remains to be seen whether that hard-earned league point will be enough to save either of them from relegation.

Malin scorers: Ben Curley 1-0; Paul McLaughlin 1-0; Josh Conlon 0-3 (1f); Darragh Douglas 0-2; Ciaran O’Kane 0-2; Christopher McLaughlin 0-2 (1f); Sean O’Neill 0-2 (2pt); Ryan McGeoghegan 0-1.

Buncrana scorers: John Campbell 1-5 (4f); Michael Bernard McLaughlin 0-4; Sean McLaughlin 0-3 (1f); JP McKenna 0-1; Liam Jordan 0-1; William McLaughlin 0-1

Malin: Zach Conlon; Mac McLaughlin, Ciaran Doherty, Gary Farren; Sean Byrne, Damien Harkin, Darragh Douglas; Tyler Bonner, Ciaran O’Kane; Ben Curley, Christopher McLaughlin, Josh Conlon; Ryan McGeoghegan, Paul McLaughlin, Nathan McDaid. Subs: Oisin McGonagle for D Harkin; Sean O’Neill for B Curley; Adam Duffy for R McGeoghegan; Luke Rudden for N McDaid.

Buncrana: Adam Harrigan; Sean Doherty, Darragh Corry, Cathal McNutt; Liam Jordan, William McLaughlin, JP McKenna; Peter McLaughlin, John Campbell; Oisin O’Flaherty, Dylan Mulholland, Sean McLaughlin; Billy Duffy, Ryan Bradley; Aaron Cleary. Subs: Michael Bernard McLaughlin for D Mulholland; Conor Graham for O O’Flaherty.

Referee: Pat Barrett (Milford)