Malin and Fanad play out a pulsating draw at Connolly Park

Malin and Gaeil Fhánada finished level in their Intermediate championship round 3 clash at Connolly Park on Saturday evening, with the lead changing hands in the final ten minutes before finally settling with the teams tied at full time.
Malin made the better start, going 0-3 to 0-0 ahead through points from Josh Conlan and a two point free from Christopher McLaughlin. Fanad responded with scores from Mark McAteer and a two-point effort from Michael Sweeney to level by the tenth minute.
Midway through the half, Sweeney was fouled as he advanced on goal, and Paddy Carr converted the penalty past Seamus Houghton to put Fanad in front.
Malin replied with points from Conlan and McLaughlin, narrowing the gap to one, before Carr added another for the visitors.
Conlan then struck for Malin’s first goal, finishing low into the corner from the edge of the parallelogram, but a two-pointer from Liam McGrenaghan ensured Fanad led by 1-6 to 1-5 at half time.

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Early in the second half, Darragh Douglas and Oisin McGonagle moved Malin ahead with points from either flank.
Then came a moment of controversy as a three men up infraction by Fanad was missed by the officials, and Malin’s ire was further raised when Michael Sweeney hit the visitors second goal from the next play. Aggreived and seeing a player booked for his protests, Malin hit back with a Conlon point to reduce the deficit to a point before Douglas levelled matters again.
Further scores from Sweeney, who was a thorn in Malin’s side all evening, Bernard McGettigan (free), and substitute James Kerr put Fanad three in front entering the closing stages and looking to be on the cusp of a first victory in the group stage.
However, Malin responded strongly with Oisin McGonagle, not for the first time, leading the home side’s charge.
McGonagle pointed before Finn Ward palmed in their second goal after a high ball had come back off the crossbar. Conlan added a 30-yard free to give Malin a two-point cushion, but McGrenaghan struck his second two-pointer to level as the stop watch hit 60 minutes.
Conlan edged Malin in front again with another point, only for McGettigan to equalise in the final play.
With two wins and a draw, Malin now sit on four points in the league table ahead of their trip to Bundoran in a fortight’s time.
The draw gave Fanad their first point of the group stage, and they’ll need to better that when they host Buncrana at Portsalon in round four. 

Malin scorers: Josh Conlan (1-5, 2f), Christopher McLaughlin (0-3, one 2ptf), Finn Ward (1-0), Darragh Douglas (0-2), Oisin McGonagle (0-2).

Gaeil Fhánada scorers: Michael Sweeney (1-3, one 2pt), Paddy Carr (1-1, 1 pen), Liam McGrenaghan (0-4, two 2pt), Bernard McGettigan (0-2, 1f), James Kerr (0-1), Mark McAteer (0-1).

Malin: Seamus Houghton, Gary Farren, Ciaran Doherty, Mac McLaughlin, Sean Byrne, Oisin McGonagle, Cormac Cullinan, Christopher McLaughlin, Sean O'Neill, Ben Curley, Josh Conlan, Darragh Douglas, Nathan McDaid, Paul McLaughlin, Luke Rudden. Subs: Finn Ward for O’Neill (51), Daniel Green for Farren (58).

Gaeil Fhánada: Owen McGonagle, Callum McAteer, Oran Shields, Ronan McAteer, Conor Herrity, Shaun Kerr, Liam McGrenaghan, Sean Curran, Oisin Shields, Oisin McFadden, Bernard McGettigan, Paddy Carr, Darren McIlwaine, Michael Sweeney, Mark McAteer. Sub: James Kerr for Oisin McFadden (48).

Referee: Daniel Carlin (Lifford).