Late Peter Boyle strike rescues a point for Aodh Ruadh away in Glenfin 

A Peter Boyle free on the stroke of full-time split the points for Aodh Ruadh against Glenfin, in this Division 1 encounter at Pairc Taoibhoige on Sunday afternoon. 

In a contest peppered by sporadic downpours and accompanied by a swirling breeze throughout, this one never really moved out of third gear. 

Home substitute Ross Marley must have thought he’d won it when he sailed over a minute out from the end of normal time. 

However, one last roll of the dice from Conor Cunningham’s side presented the visitors with a final opportunity from distance. 

Former Donegal netminder Boyle trotted forward and easily stroked between the posts from 40m and, with that, Jimmy White called time. 

In a lacklustre opening half, Aodh Ruadh were happy to sit in and hit the hosts on the counter. 

Glenfin owned possession for the first five minutes but just couldn’t find suitable avenues and when they were eventually stripped of possession, Matt Gillespie clipped Aodh Ruadh in front with their very first advance into the Glenfin final third. 

Boyle then had to be alert to deny Odhran McGlynn as the Glenfin wing back got in behind that defensive shield. 

On 11 minutes, Ballyshannon went two up as Diarmaid McInerney converted from a free. Glenfin were finally up and running soon after as Ciaran Brady found the target. 

On 20 minutes, a more direct approach from Glenfin reaped its reward as Brady collected a delivery from out the park and with the ball immediately being shifted into the path of the inrushing Stephen Ward, the scoreboard now read 0-2 apiece. 

In what remained a disjointed enough watch, Aodh Ruadh stirred somewhat as Jack Gallagher took a great mark while McInerney grabbed his second as the Fr Tierney Park men went two clear. 

However, Brady would also register his second before the short whistle as 0-4 led 0-3 at the changeover. 

Aodh Ruadh were quickest off the mark in the second-half as Gillespie was allowed to canter in far too easily. But Glenfin sprung to life and between the 40th and 50th minutes, posting four points on the bounce to move 0-7 to 0-5 clear. 

Their goalkeeper Kaine McGlynn got that purple patch underway with a well-struck ‘45 while there were also white flags from Odhran McGlynn, Matthew McGinley and Odhran O’Connor. 

Aodh Ruadh split the difference through Gallagher and, on 58 minutes, the game was once again tied at 0-7 each as McInerney landed from a free. 

In between, an O’Connor free came back off an Aodh Ruadh post and was almost bundled home from close range as the likes of Brady and Daniel McGlynn both had swipes at the breaking ball. 

Ross Marley, not long into the action, then pushed Glenfin to the fore once more as matters moved towards the hour mark. 

The same player would then be black-carded as he attempted to slow down Aodh Ruadh’s progress up the park. 

But right on the whistle, Boyle made sure that Aodh Ruadh didn’t leave empty-handed with a quality conversion from the ground. 

Glenfin scorers: Ciaran Brady 0-2; Stephen Ward, Kaine McGlynn, Odhran McGlynn, Matthew McGinley, Ross Marley and Odhran O’Connor 0-1 each.  

Aodh Ruadh scorers:  Diarmaid McInerney 0-3,2f; Matt Gillespie 0-2; Peter Boyle 0-1, 1’45; Jack Gallagher 0-2,1m. 

Glenfin: Kaine McGlynn; Martin O’Donnell, John Harkin, Shane McGinty; Odhran McGlynn, Jack Long, Mark McGinty; Stephen Ward, Jason Morrow; Matthew McGinley, Jason Marley, Daire Quigley; Ciaran Brady, Odhran O’Connor, Daniel McGlynn. 

Subs: Ross Marley for Quigley (40), Frank McGlynn for S McGinty (59).

Aodh Ruadh: Peter Boyle; Aidan Sweeny, Jason Granaghan, Ryan Keenaghan; Kyle Murray, Niall Murray, Darragh Dolan; Shane McGrath, Donagh McIntyre; Colm McGloin, Diarmaid McInerney, Matt Gillespie; Eddie Lynch, Jack Gallagher, James Gallagher. 

Subs: Johnny Gethins for McGloin (50), Conor Foy for S McGrath (50).   

Referee: Jimmy White (Killybegs)