McLaughlin inspires St Michael’s to Comortas win in Glenswilly

Daniel McLaughlin’s excellent haul of 1-9 went a long way in ensuring that St Michael’s advanced to the next round of Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta at the expense of their hosts Glenswilly. 

Glenswilly 2-10
St Michael’s 1-14

Daniel McLaughlin’s excellent haul of 1-9 went a long way in ensuring that St Michael’s advanced to the next round of Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta at the expense of their hosts Glenswilly. 

Despite the poor conditions both sides served up an excellent spectacle that, in the end, took extra-time to settle. 

Drifting towards the end there at 2-10 to 1-13, it was no surprise that it was McLaughlin coming up with the goods once again, right at the death, to spare this claustrophobic contest being settled by a penalty shootout.  

Pauric Bonner’s side had departed with a 1-5 to 0-5 lead at the break with Daithi Gildea’s first of two goals splitting the teams. Gary McFadden bagged a trio of points for the Glen inside that first period while McLaughlin was on the mark four times for the visitors. 

Shane McDevitt and Jake Kelly were the men adding the other overs for Glenswilly while Martin McElhinney also posted for St Michael’s. Michael’s were down to 14 men for a spell when Eoghan Kelly picked up a black card. 

McFadden widened the deficit to four after the restart but three points on the bounce from St Michael’s - one from McLaughlin and two from substitute Padraig O’Neill - left it 1-6 to 0-8 by the three quarter hour mark. 

Things got even better for the men from the Bridge as McLaughlin raced in to crack a super goal into the top corner of Keelan McFadden’s net. Gildea though raised another green flag for Glenswilly as the lead swayed back in their favour at 2-6 to 1-8. 

Eoghan Kelly and Gildea traded points before McLaughlin, from close to the sideline, squared matters up once more from a well curled free. 

Max Roarty added another point for St Michael’s as they again took the upper hand at 1-11 to 2-7 but Mark Bonner managed to level matters again with a fine strike, forcing the contest to extra-time.

At the midpoint there, St Michael’s held a 1-13 to 2-9 advantage as McLaughlin, twice from frees, and McFadden, also from a placed ball, plumped their tallies. 

Jack Gallagher tied the game up again in the second period but, right at the very end, McLaughlin won it for St Michael’s.  

Glenswilly scorers: Gary McFadden 0-5,3f; Daithi Gildea 2-1; Mark Bonner 0-1; Jack Gallagher 0-1; Jake Kelly 0-1; Shane McDevitt 0-1,1f;

St Michael’s scorers: Daniel McLaughlin 1-9,6f; Martin McElhinney 0-1; Max Roarty 0-1; Padraig O’Neill 0-2,1f; Eoghan Kelly 0-1; 

Glenswilly: Kealan McFadden; Eamon Ward, Ruairi Crawford, Donal Gallagher; Cormac Callaghan, Jack Gallagher, Jake Kelly; Christopher McMonagle, Sean Collum; Mark Bonner, Shane McDevitt, Emmett Boyle; Daithi Gildea, Gary McFdden, Oisin Crawford. 

Subs: Leigh Crerand for McMonagle (ht), Sean Gallagher for R Crawford (43). 

St Michael’s: Mark Anthony McGinley; Kit Regan, Liam Pol Ferry, Stephen Doak; Eoghan Kelly, Christopher McElhinney, Jamie Hunter; Kyle McGarvey, Conan Brennan; Daniel McLaughlin, Martin McElhinney, Ethan Doherty; Max Roarty, Antoin McFadden, Paul Johnston. 

Subs: Padraig Ó Neil for LP Ferry (15, inj).

Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gaeil Fhanada).