Late Oisin Gallen point earns Sean MacCumhaills draw with Kilcar

Oisin Gallen, via his ninth point of the evening, rescued a draw for Sean MacCumhaills against Kilcar on Saturday evening in the Donegal SFC.

Sean MacCumhaills 0-14 Kilcar 0-14

Patrick McBrearty put Kilcar in front for the first time in the 59th minute, the Donegal captain nailing his eighth of the game.

For long periods, MacCumhaills led with Gallen delivering another superb showing to add to an ever-growing collection.

McBrearty fired over, but it needed Gallen’s intervention, with what proved to be the game’s final kick, to share the spoils. Gallen split the posts from a 40m free with the outside of his right boot. It was the ninth time that the scoreboard was level. Kilcar head straight for the quarter-finals with MacCumhaills having to meet Four Masters to determine who’ll go to the last eight.

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A stunning point from Gallen, an effort that almost defied geometry as it bent over from way out on the right sideline, gave MacCumhaills a two-point lead, 0-8 to 0-6, at half-time.

On Wednesday night, Gallen and Joel Bradley-Walsh scored 2-11 between them in a 3-15 to 0-14 win over Glenfin. That game was rescheduled from last weekend following the tragic death of Glenfin clubman Gareth Martin.

Swiftly back in action after their midweek exploits, MacCumhaills - not 72 hours since they were last in competitive fare - were, at that stage, good value for their interval advantage, even if Kilcar could point five wides and another attempt that dropped into the arms of Eoin Gallen, the home goalkeeper.

Just 90 seconds in, Gallen saved well from McBrearty, who managed to pop over when he recycled.

Aaron Gillooley eyes up a pass.

Steven O’Reilly arched MacCumhaills in front after only 40 seconds and Joe Boyle saw an ambitious effort come back off the upright when he tried his luck after spotting Kevin Campbell off his line. MacCumhaills stole back possession and Boyle was denied by the frame.

Gallen and Bradley-Walsh kept the home side ticking during a first half in which the teams were level five times. Gallen was double-marked with Brian O’Donnell and Pauric Carr for close attention, but he shook off the shackles for a splendid point in the 19th minute only for Matthew McClean to even the sums with an excellent long-ranger at the other end.

With a two-point buffer, MacCumhaills sprung from the traps at the start of part two, Gallen firing over twice within the opening minute-and-a-half.

Ryan McShane and McBrearty hauled Kilcar back and they almost led for the first time but, after a surging run by Ciaran McGinley, Ryan O’Donnell’s effort was blocked on the line and MacCumhaills were able to clear the danger.

With McGinley giving Kilcar a new impetus, McBrearty, who was given a stern test by Cian Mulligan on the edge of the square, found range again and the Towney men were level at the midway point of the second half.

McGinley lifted over the black spot after Kevin McCormack - having clipped MacCumhaills back in front just three minutes beforehand - was black carded by referee Mark Dorrian.

In a frenetic finale, Bradley-Walsh was given a second yellow card while Kilcar also finishing with 14 after Mark Sweeney was black carded.

Sean MacCumhaills scorers: Oisin Gallen 0-9, 2m, 3f; Joel Bradley-Walsh 0-3, 2f; Steven O’Reilly, Kevin McCormack 0-1 each.

Kilcar scorers: Patrick McBrearty 0-8, 4f; Matthew McClean 0-2; Oran Doogan, Ryan McShane, Ryan McHugh, Ciaran McGinley 0-1 each.

Sean MacCumhaills: Eoin Gallen; Aaron Gillooley, Cian Mulligan, Ruairi Callaghan; Martin O’Reilly, Andrew McCloskey, Sean Martin; Steven O’Reilly, Joe Boyle; Jack Duffy, Jamie Keegan, Chad McSorley; Conor McGinty, Joel Bradley-Walsh, Oisin Gallen. Subs: Kevin McCormack for M.O’Reilly (26).

Kilcar: Kevin Campbell; Pauric Carr, Brian O’Donnell, Ryan McHugh; Ryan O’Donnell, Daniel Lyons, Kenny Doogan; Oran Doogan, Stephen McBrearty; Conor Doherty, Matthew McClean, Ryan McShane; Ben Rafferty, Patrick McBrearty, Seanie Boyle. Subs: Ciaran McGinley for McClean (30), Mark Sweeney for Rafferty (42).

Referee: Mark Dorrian (Gaeil Fhanada).