Christopher McLaughlin and Malin aiming for IFC glory 

Malin will meet Downings in the IFC decider after they edged out Gaeil Fhánada in the semi-finals, after extra-time, on Sunday. 

Christopher McLaughlin, who kicked the injury time point that forced the contest to extra-time, never lost faith and always felt the game was within their grasp.  

That effort left it Gaeil Fhánada 1-7 Malin 0-10 and meant the contest was headed for overtime. 

“We may have left it late but we always believed we would win, " said McLaughlin who scored three of his team's points and was one the standout Malin players.

“We have been working for the last couple of years for games like this.

“Fanad are a good team, they have been knocking on the door for a good few years now. It was never going to be an easy game. 

“There are no easy games once you get into a quarter-final or a semi-final of the championship.” 

After a cagey opening quarter and with the teams locked on 0-2 each, Malin goalkeeper Daniel Mullarkey misdirected his kickout and into the arms of Gaeil Fhánada’s unmarked Darren McElwaine. 

And from 35m out, he lobbed the retreating  goalkeeper for the game’s only goal for a 1-2 to 0-2 lead. 

That was on 16 minutes and Malin chased the game from then until McLaughlin tied it all up two minutes into injury time.

“The goal happened in the first half and it was from a mistake. But these things happen in games. 

“Daniel made a mistake and he knows he made a mistake but he plucked four or five balls out of the air there at the end when Fanad were going for goals. 

“The character we have in the team is brilliant. Other times and other teams would have folded. 

“But once the goal went in we settled ourselves and stuck to our game plan. We were two points down at half-time and we slowly pulled them back in the second half.” 

Malin then simply pulled away in extra-time. They led by two points at half-time there before closing out the game in the second period to win by seven points.

“We brought on a number of subs and they made a difference. Benny (McLaughlin) and Seamus Houghton came on, lads that are fighting for places and a number of tough calls will have to be made for the final  starting team.” 

The wing forward insisted Sunday’s win was just a stepping stone to the ultimate aim - winning the championship and getting a crack at playing senior championship football. 

“We are going to have to knuckle down over the next few weeks to get ready for the final.” 

There, Malin will face Downings, a pairing that will rekindle memories of the 2022 Division 2 League final meeting between the pair in O’Donnell Park.

“In a sensational finish to a high-octane encounter Johnny McGroddy, with Downings trailing by two points, drilled a 14m free under the Malin crossbar and to the back of the net for an unbelievable goal.

And a one-point 1-16 to 1-15 win for Downings helped secure the Division 2 League title.    

“We try not to think about that game as far as we are concerned it is a  brand new game we are not going to dwell on the past. This is a completely different encounter”.