Red Hughs retain Division 2 spot with hard earned win away to Gaeil Fhánada

Red Hughs have survived in Division Two for another year, after a narrow but hard-fought victory over Gaeil Fhánada on a very good surface at Pairc Ui Shiadhial. 

Gaeil Fhánada 1-9 Red Hughs 0-14 

And, on balance, they deserved it as they had everything to play for and in Jack Gillespie, they have a player of towering two-footed talent. 

Gillespie gave a five-star display in horrendous conditions, hitting 0-8 with six frees including a wonderful solo effort midway through the second half. 

He was well supported by county star Stephen McMenamin who had an interesting duel with Seamie ‘Nanny’ Friel who produced a moment of magic by flicking the ball off the ground while on the ground that led to a score. 

Gaeil Fhánada’s lively full forward Fergal Friel got the game’s only goal In the 45th minute and hit an accompanying point to put his side in the lead. 

However, Red Hughs had the hunger and finished out by hitting the last three points of this entertaining affair to seal their place in the second tier. 

Brian Irwin opened the scoring with a well struck point for the visitors after two minutes and Gillespie landed a free to put Red Hughs into a 0-2 to 0-0 lead. 

Liam McGranaghan converted a point for the home side from a free and then Friel struck a fine effort to tie matters. That set the pattern for a closely contested first half. 

Red Hughs full forward Calvin Bradley and Cahair Browne edged their team into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead by the 12th minute. 

The accurate McGranaghan and Shaun Kerr levelled matters as both sides mercifully decided that attack was mostly the best form of defence as the rain enveloped the park. Gillespie hit two fine points, but these were quickly cancelled by James Kerr and Oisin Shields. 

Red Hugh’s Cian Gallagher and McGranaghan of Gaeil Fhánada swapped points as the sides were tied at 0-7 each at the break. 

But the Killygordon men were quickly out of the blocks on the restart with Gillespie and Bradley tagging on two swift points. 

Friel narrowed the gap from a Fanad free out on the side line as Gillespie made it 0-10 to 0-8 by the 40th minute. 

And the bustling Bradley made it 0-11 to 0-8 before the visitors shipped four points in the space of 90 seconds. A high ball into the Red Hughs square was not dealt with and Fanad’s Fergal Friel flicked the ball to the net. He added a lightning point to put his side into a 1-9 to 0-11 lead. The momentum seemed to be with the home side in the 45th minute. 

But cometh the crisis and cometh Gillespie who arrowed his way through the Fanad defence and struck a truly inspirational point to level matters at 1-9 to 0-12. 

Fanad were not able to build on that swift goal and a point as Bradley and the inevitable Gillespie closed out the scoring. 

Gaeil Fhánada scorers: Fergal Friel 1-1; Liam McGranagahn 0-3,3f; Seamie Friel 0-2; James Kerr 0-1; Shaun Kerr 0-1; Oisin Shields 0-1; 

Red Hughs scorers: Jack Gillespie 0-8,6f; Calvin Bradley 0-3; Cahair Browne 0-1; Brian Irwin 0-1; Cian Gallagher 0-1. 

Gaeil Fhánada: Mark McConigley; Callum McAteer, Paddy Heraghty, Shaun Kerr; Brandon McClafferty, Odhran Shields, Oisin Shields; Oisin McFadden, Liam McGranaghan; Shaun Carr, Seamie ‘Nanny’ Friel, Eoin Logue; James Kerr, Fergal Friel, Eoin McGonagle. 

Subs: Fergus Friel for Eoin McGonagle (50), Michael McDaid for Oisin McFadden and Paul Coyle for Oisin Shields (56). 

Red Hughs: Tom McMenamin; James Doherty, Thomas McMenamin, Shane Gallagher; Aaron McGlinchey, Stephen McMenamin, Brian Irwin; Stephen McBride, Jack Gillespie; Peadar McGlinchey, Damian Browne, Cian Gallagher; Cahair Browne, Calvin Bradley, Tiernan Kelly. 

Subs: Jason Callaghan for Tiernan Kelly (23), James Gallagher for James Doherty (54). 

Referee: Seamus McGonigle (Aodh Ruadh)