Cloich Cheann Fhaola maintain their perfect start with five point win in Burt

Cloich Cheann Fhaola maintained their perfect start to Division 2 with a five-point win away to Burt on Sunday afternoon.
Michael Lynch's side trailed by two points at half-time, but Blake Mac Gairbheith edged them ahead with a 36th-minute goal and followed up with a point from the kick-out, and they never looked back thereafter.
Having converted a 45 to put his side two clear, keeper Seán Mac Laifeartaigh then made a point-blank save from Burt's Caolan McKinney. And he was called into action again soon after parrying a shot from Keith McColgan, with the goal kept intact when full-back Cian Mac Phaidín got back to tidy up on the goal-line.
A couple of late points from play from Seán Mac Gearailt ensured a comfortable conclusion to the game for Cloich Cheann Fhaola, who remain top of the second division alongside Downings and Muff, but with a game in hand on both of them.

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Playing with the breeze, Marty Coyle's Burt had started strongly, with Sean McHugh (3 points), Jack O'Brien and Andrew Walker all on target as they opened up a 0-5 to 0-1 lead by the 15th minute.
But Cloich Cheann Fhaola settled into the game and started to win the lion's share of possession off kick-outs. Burt's loose tackling was punished with Blake Mac Gairbheith converting two frees, while two points from Ronan Mac Aoidh brought the Gaeltacht side right back into the contest.
Goalkeeper Mac Laifeartaigh came smartly off his line to smother Darren Gallagher when a Burt goal chance looked on in the 20th minute, but the home side at least got a score from the attack when midfielder Keith McColgan pointed to put them 0-6 to 0-4 ahead.
However, frees from Mac Gairbheith and Seán Ó Corrain had Cloich Cheann Fhaola level two minutes before the break.
Sean McHugh hit a two-pointer from play, the only one of the game, on the stroke of half-time to send Burt into the dressing room with a 0-8 to 0-6 lead.

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Referee Charlie Creevy punished visiting bainisteoir Michael Lynch with a yellow card for contesting a decision early in the second half, and McHugh tapped over the resulting 13m free to put Burt three ahead.
But Mac Gairbheith's quickfire goal and a point put Cloich Cheann Fhaola in front and, with the breeze at their backs, they were able to control the game while Burt saw a series of shots hold up and drop short throughout the second half.
Mac Laifeartaigh's double save, first from McKinney and then McColgan, denied Burt the oxygen a goal would have given them and instead it was the visitors who pushed on, with Seán Ó Gallachóir pointing from play after receiving a quickly taken Mac Gairbheith free, and Mac Gairbheith himself hitting his fourth free in the 54th minute for a 1-10 to 0-9 lead.
Seán Mac Gearailt, who had been well marshalled by Burt full-back Leo Kelly, finally found a bit of space and hit two late points on either side of a Jack O'Brien free, as Cloich Cheann Fhaola saw out the game with minimal fuss.
That's three wins from three for Cloich Cheann Fhaola, their best start to a league campaign in several years.
They're home to Buncrana next Saturday night, while Burt are away to Gaeil Fhánada.

Burt scorers: Sean McHugh 0-6 (one 2pt, 2f); Jack O'Brien 0-2 (1f); Andrew Walker 0-1; Keith McColgan 0-1.

Cloich Cheann Fhaola scorers: Blake Mac Gairbheith 1-5 (0-4f); Ronan Mac Aoidh 0-2; Seán Mac Gearailt 0-2; Seán Ó Corrain 0-1; Seán Mac Laifeartaigh 0-1 (45); Seán Ó Gallachóir 0-1.

Burt: Niall McGlynn; Seamie O'Donnell, Leo Kelly, Ryan McDaid; Caolan McKinney, Tom Doherty, Dara Grant; Keith McColgan, Stephen O'Donnell; Andrew Walker, Sean McHugh, Ryan Farnan; Jack O'Brien, Mark McElhinney, Darren Gallagher. Subs: Shayne Gallagher for Seamie O'Donnell (42 mins); Darragh Donaghey for A Walker (52 mins); Callum Purves and Kevin Boyle for R Farnan and R McDaid (56 mins).

Cloich Cheann Fhaola: Seán Mac Laifeartaigh; Tarlach Ó Colla, Cian Mac Phaidín, Seamus Ó Colla; Pádraig Mac Giolla Cumhaill, Seamus Ó Dubhaigan, Seán Ó Gallachóir; Conchobar Mac Giolla Cumhaill, Seán Ó Corrain; Pádraig Ó Dubháin, Blake Mac Gairbheith, Seamus Mac Iomhair; Ciaran Ó Domhnaill, Ronan Mac Aoidh, Seán Mac Gearailt. Subs: Ethan Ó Fhrighil for C Ó Domhnaill (42); Cristoir Ó Bairead for R Mac Aoidh (57).

Referee: Charlie Creevy (Letterkenny Gaels).