Malin produce the shock of the weekend to defeat Aodh Ruadh

Conor O’Neill and Matthew Byrne scored the goals as Malin pulled off the big upset of the weekend  with their victory over Aodh Ruadh in Ballyshannon on Sunday afternoon. 

Aodh Ruadh 0-10 Malin 3-5 

O’Neill struck for two of the goals with Matthew Byrne netting one as the Inishowen men inflicted the first defeat of the season on  Aodh Ruadh. 

Byrne drove home the first 11 minutes into the game to propel his side into a 1-1 to 0-1 score and the lead after Nathan Boyle had exchanged early points with Josh Conlon. While Aodh Ruadh recovered well from the early setback with three unanswered Diarmid McInerney points and one from Darren Drummond to lead 0-5 to 1-1 with half-time approaching.

But the locals were rocked in injury time at the end of the opening half when O’Neill got on the end of a good move for Malin’s second goal. Malin led 2-1 to 0-5 at half-time. 

McInerney, who top scored for Aodh Ruadh, twice levelled the tie in the opening ten minutes of the second half. But with Byrne and Christopher McLaughlin leading the Malin charge each time the locals levelled they edged back in front again. 

The fixture was still in the melting pot with Malin a point to the good when the elusive O’Neill struck for goal number three five minutes from the end. Philip Patton and Christopher McLaughlin traded late points as Malin ran out the victor with four points to spare.

Aodh Ruadh scorers: Diarmaid McInerney 0-6,2f; Nathan Boyle 0-2; Darren Drummond, Philip Patton 0-1 each. 
Malin scorers: Conor O’Neill 2-0; Matthew Byrne 1-2; Christopher McLaughlin 0-2,1f; Josh Conlon 0-1. 

Aodh Ruadh; Peter Boyle; Kyle Murray,Eamon McGrath, Eoghan Kelly; Michael McKenna, Darren Drummond, Niall Murray; David Dolan, Cian Dolan; Diarmaid McInerney, Shane Delahunty, Jack Gillespie; Eddie Lynch, Nathan Boyle, Matt Gillespie. Subs: Cian Rooney for M Gillespie; Darragh McInerney for J Gillespie; Philip Patton for S Delahunty. 

Malin: Daniel Mullarkey;Alan McGonagle, Ciaran Doherty, Sean Byrne;Tyler Bonner, Conor Farren, Paul McLaughlin; Daniel Houghton, Sean O’Neill; Joseph Doherty, Matthew Byrne, Christopher McLaughlin; Conor O’Neill, Josh Conlon, Damian Harkin. Subs: Darragh Douglas for J Doherty; Conor McGilligan for S O’Neill.