Naomh Pádraig beat neighbours Burt for first win in Division 2

Naomh Pádraig hit three injury time points to overcome Burt on Easter Sunday and get their first league win of the season, bouncing back from an opening day defeat.
One of the few Division 2 games to go ahead in the aftermath of Storm Dave, the strong downfield wind made this a real game of two halves.
Burt led by 0-10 to 0-4 after a wind-assisted first half, but Naomh Pádraig were level by the 49th minute when substitute Andrew McCarron rattled the net after ghosting unmarked into the parallelogram.
The sides were still level on the hour, before Muff’s late surge carried them over the winning line.
Kevin Doherty tapped over a free for a breach to put them into the lead, and Cillian Doyle and Michael McCarron added two more to seal a win over their neighbours in the first leg of a mini-Inishowen league. There are derbies against Malin and Buncrana to come over the next fortnight.

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Burt raced out the blocks, with Muff keeper Diarmuid McKane saving at the feet of Kevin Boyle after Stephen O’Donnell won the throw-in and cut a swathe through the visitor’s defence.
Mark McElhinney converted the resulting 45, and a two pointer from Jack O’Brien and a point from Sean McHugh had them four points up inside three minutes.
Hemmed in, Muff finally won possession off their own kickout to lift the siege. McKane went wide with a long range free into the breeze, but Cillian Doyle got their opening point on ten minutes after pouncing on a misplaced pass in the Burt defence.
Ryan Farnan and Jamie McCauley exchanged points, before Jonny Toye cut Burt’s lead to two, 0-5 to 0-3, in the 23rd minute.
Burt showed a greater urgency towards the end of the half with Darren Gallagher and Andrew Walker both hitting breakaway scores, and Jack O’Brien landing his second two pointer.
However, Jamie McCauley pointed for Muff to leave six between the teams at the break, 0-10 to 0-4.

Jonny Toye fired over a two pointer early the second half for Naomh Pádraig, but they struggled to build on that good start.
Instead, Burt got a hold of the ball and dominated possession without ever creating any meaningful scoring chances against Naomh Pádraig’s tenacious and turnover-hungry defence.
A free from Kevin Doherty brought Muff back to within three points midway through the half.

The home full back Leo Kelly sustained an injury in that play, but Burt weren’t quick enough to replace him and after winning a free from the kickout Jonny Toye took it quickly, picking out the unmarked Andrew McCarron on the edge of the square. McCarron’s first effort was saved by Mark McElhinney, but the substitute finished the rebound to the net to draw Muff level at 1-7 to 0-10.
Three minutes later, Cillian Doyle put Muff into the lead for the first time with a point from play. Both teams were guilty of carrying the ball into the tackle and suffering turnovers, but Burt pulled back level when Jack O’Brien chipped over a close range free in the 58th minute.
Momentum swung Muff’s way in the first minute of injury time when Burt were punished for a three-man breach and Kevin Doherty tapped over the resulting free kick.
Cillian Doyle followed up with another point after Muff switched the ball from one flank to the other, and then Michael McCarron landed a brilliant effort from top of the left for a 1-11 to 0-11 lead.
Burt needed a goal, but Muff clogged up the route towards the posts and conceded a 30m free. Sean McHugh drove it into the square looking for fist to deflect it to the net, but instead the ball scraped over the bar and Burt, who’d defeated Ardara a week previously, were down and out.

Burt scorers: Jack O’Brien 0-6 (two 2pt, 2f); Sean McHugh 0-2 (2f); Mark McElhinney 0-1 (45); Ryan Farnan 0-1; Darren Gallagher 0-1; Andrew Walker 0-1.

Naomh Pádraig scorers: Cillian Doyle 0-3; Jonny Toye 0-3 (one 2pt); Andrew McCarron 1-0; Kevin Doherty 0-2 (2f); Jamie McCauley 0-2; Michael McCarron 0-1

Burt: Mark McElhinney; Rory McDaid, Leo Kelly, Caolan McKinney; Dara Grant, Darren Bradley, Darren Gallagher; Stephen O’Donnell, Keith McColgan; Ryan Farnan, Sean McHugh, Andrew Walker; Kevin Boyle, Jack O’Brien, Darragh Donaghey. Subs: Shayne Gallagher (23 mins); Callum Purves for L Kelly (50 mins); Oisin Kerr for R Farnan (51 mins).

Naomh Pádraig Uisce Chaoin: Diarmuid McKane; Daniel McMenamin, Cormac Kelly, Caolan Harkin; Peter McLaughlin, Michael McCarron, Darragh McIntyre; Ciaran McLaughlin, Dermot Keaveney; Jonny Toye, Cathal McColgan, Oisin McIntyre; Jamie McCauley, Jamie McColgan, Cillian Doyle. Subs: Kevin Doherty for C McColgan (40 mins); Andrew McCarron for J McCauley (43 mins); Oisin Burke for D Keaveney (44 mins)

Referee: Anthony McCallig (Naomh Ultan)