Bradley Walsh shines as MacCumhaills hold off Killybegs to nab vital win 

MacCumhalls grabbed a crucial SFC win as they held off the challenge of Killybegs in Ballybofey on Saturday evening. 

MacCumhaills 1-12 Killybegs 0-12 

With both sides suffering opening day losses, MacCumhaills away to Gaoth Dobhair and Killybegs at home to Naomh Conaill, this one was expected to be tight. 

And in a pedestrian paced first period, it was McCumhaills that went in at half-time with their noses just in front at 0-4 to 0-3. However, the second-half was a much better spectacle. 

But in Oisin Gallen and Joel Bradley Walsh, MacCumhaills are perhaps unique in possessing two marquee inside men. And it was that imposing duo that had most influence in eventually tilting this one the Twin Towns men’s way. 

Bradley Walsh had kicked the hosts ahead early on with a fine strike off the left boot. 

Gallen then had his first telling impact of the evening, from a free, as MacCumhaills doubled their advantage. Killybegs were up and running on five minutes thanks to an impressive Jon Ban Gallagher effort. 

But the initial tempo dropped suddenly and it wasn’t until the 17th minute, a Chad McSorely point, that the scoreboard turned once more as MacCumhaills went 0-3 to 0-1 clear. On 25 minutes a searing run from Eoghan Ban Gallagher halved the deficit. 

And with Hugh McFadden arrowing over a free on the wide left, the sides were deadlocked three minutes out from the break. 

MacCumhaills - who had been wasteful during the first period - would manage to edge in front once again as a Gallen free made it 0-4 to 0-3. Tempers flared just before Robbie O’Donnell’s short whistle but they cooled just as quickly.

Killybegs were out of the blocks fast after the restart as Christy Cunningham, all the way from corner back, as well as Jon Ban Gallagher, helped push the visitors in front for the first time in the contest. 

Bradley Walsh and Gallen fired back up the other side as the pace finally began to quicken. On 37 minutes a McFadden free, awarded for an off-the-ball tug, squared matters at 0-6 apiece.

A successive pair of booming frees off the ground from Bradley Walsh then helped MacCumhaills into a two-point lead. But in what was now a real end-to-end affair, Rory Coyler lamped over another superb point. 

But the decisive moment in this one arrived on 41 minutes when Bradley Walsh collected in front of goal. Corey Byrne initially produced a brilliant stop to thwart the big MacCumhaills man but the latter showed a really cool head to slide the rebound, soccer style, low and to the corner of the net. 

Gallen and Conor Cunningham swapped frees as four remained the difference going into the fourth and final quarter. Another Cunningham free from the hands went right between the river end posts and just that previous MacCumhaills goal now split the sides.

With Killybegs rallying, McFadden thumped over a free off the ground to make it 1-9 to 0-10. Six minutes out from the end, Gallen interrupted that three-point scoring spurt from Killybegs as his free again made it a three-point game. 

Still, back bounced Killybegs with McFadden again finding his mark, off the ground, and from a considerable distance. But to MacCumhaills’ credit, they’d close matters out in determined fashion as Bradley Walsh sailed over a late pair of frees.  

Cunningham did have the final say for Killybegs with his third free of the contest but it was MacCumhaills that deservingly picked up two vital SFC points.

MacCumhaills scorers: Joel Bradley Walsh 1-6,4f; Oisin Gallen 0-5,3f; Chad McSorely 0-1; 

Killybegs scorers: Conor Cunningham 0-3,3f; Jon Ban Gallagher 0-2; Hugh McFadden 0-4,4f; Eoghan Ban Gallagher 0-1; Rory Coyler 0-1; Christy Cunningham 0-1. 

MacCumhaills: Eoin Gallen; Cian Mulligan, Aaron Gilooley, Ruairi Callaghan; Shaun McMenamin, Andrew McCloskey, Sean Martin; Joseph Boyle, Chad McSorely; Jack Duffy, Jamie Keegan, Conor McGinty; Joel Bradley Walsh, Oisin Gallen, Martin O’Reilly. 

Subs: Kevin McCormick for Keegan (50), Gary Dunnion for McGinty (60+1). 

Killybegs: Corey Byrne; Christopher Cunningham, Cillian Gildea, Michael Callaghan; Kevin O’Boyle, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Ryan Carr; Rory Coyler, Hugh McFadden; Jon Ban Gallagher, Ryan Cunningham, Charlie Breslin; Conor Cunningham, Jack McSharry, Paul Cunningham.

Subs: Evan Broderick and Timmy Gorrell for Callaghan and P Cunningham (both 50)

Referee: Robbie O’Donnell (Naomh Muire).