Caelan O'Neill strikes late to earn Buncrana share of spoils away to Aodh Ruadh

A pointed free into the darkness from Buncrana marksman Caelan O’Neill tied this thrilling SHL encounter in Fr Tierney Park.

For the last fifteen minutes, in wet and gloomy conditions, it was very hard to see the sliotar and both sides are to be commended for seeing matters out..

A draw was probably a fair result but Aodh Ruadh will certainly rue those eight first-half wides when they were in the ascendancy, leading by 1-8 to 0-6 at the break. They also led by 2-9 to 0-11 midway through the second half.

But all credit to Buncrana, who never stopped fighting, and they can mainly thank O’Neill’s accuracy for coming away with a point.

Aodh Ruadh played with a slight breeze in the opening half, but it was Buncrana’s tall midfielder Kevin O’Rourke who hit the first point.

Aaron Cullen, who was sent off for a second yellow card in the 58th minute, replied with a pointed free to which O’Rourke responded in kind. Cullen then levelled matters after taking a good pass from the outstanding Senan Rooney.

That set the pattern for a ding-dong opening half, as O’Neill and Rooney swapped points. However, Aodh Ruadh had chalked up five wides in the opening twelve minutes.

Ex-county player Dylan Duffy landed two points on the trot to put his side ahead 0-5 to 0-3, before Aodh Ruadh struck for a well-executed goal. Rooney ran for about 60 metres before finding Cullen, who blasted the sliotar to the roof of the net in the 16th minute.

But Aodh Ruadh continued to hit wides as O’Neill levelled matters from a free.

That was Buncrana’s last score of the half, as Aodh Ruadh finished strongly with points from Kyle McNulty, two Danny Breen pointed frees, and another from Cullen, leaving them 1-8 to 0-6 ahead at the break.

They could have had a second goal in the 24th minute, but Buncrana keeper Tom Clare pulled off a brilliant save from a point-blank effort by Cullen.

Buncrana came out like a freight train on the resumption, landing four points in as many minutes - 0-2 from frees by O’Neill, and points from play by O’Rourke and Duffy.

Cullen pointed a free to leave Aodh Ruadh ahead 1-9 to 0-10, but the inevitable O’Neill reduced the gap to a single point with another free.

Aodh Ruadh veteran Ciaran Kilgannon flicked the ball to the net in a crowded Buncrana goalmouth, and suddenly Ballyshannon were ahead by 2-9 to 0-11 in the 45th minute.

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But they failed to score for the rest of the game, as points from Duffy and three late frees from O’Neill levelled matters in a frenetic finish where visibility was virtually zero.

Referee Michael Connolly played four minutes of extra time, during which both sides had half-chances of victory before settling for a draw.

Aodh Ruadh scorers: Aaron Cullen 1-4, 2f; Ciaran Kilgannon 1-0; Danny Breen 0-2, 2f; Senan Rooney 0-2, 1f; Kyle McNulty 0-1.

Buncrana scorers: Caelan O’Neill 0-9, 8f; Dylan Duffy 0-3; Kevin O’Rourke 0-3.

Aodh Ruadh: Tommy Clyne; Martin Larkin, Adam Rami, Stephen Anderson; Ciaran Rami, Stephen Connolly, Ryan O’Brien; Senan Rooney, Kyle McNulty; Johnny Lin, Aaron Cullen, Cian McDonald; Cian McKenna, Ciaran Kilgannon, Danny Breen.

Subs: Cillian Bradshaw and Lennon Canny for Daithi Breen and Cian McKenna (34), Dara O’Mahoney for Johnny Lin (57).

Buncrana: Tom Clare; Ruairi Scott, Cathal Óg Wilson, Luke McLafferty; Caolan Mulholland, David Caret, Aedan Stokes; Kevin O’Rourke, Conor Grant; Jack Callaghan, Ross Doherty, Ruairi Doherty; Adam Houten, Caelan O’Neill, Dylan Duffy.Sub: Darren Doherty for Adam Houten (53).

Referee: Michael Connolly (Western Gaels, Sligo)