MacCumhaill’s stay in promotion hunt with Letterkenny Gaels still not safe

Championship football might be looming large on the horizon, but Letterkenny Gaels and Seán MacCumhaill’s still have much to play for in Division 2 of the All-County League.

Letterkenny Gaels 0-11
MacCumhaill’s 0-12

That was very evident as these two sides served up a highly entertaining encounter in the summer sun on Sunday afternoon. In the end, the Twin Towns club held on for a narrow win, but in truth, even they will admit that this was a fortunate win earned against a hard-working Gaels team.

The victory means MacCumhaill’s stay on track for promotion to Division 1. They showed their quality when it mattered most, kicking a couple of excellent scores late on through the excellent Gary Wilson and Jamie Keegan.

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In Joel Bradley-Walsh they have a player who is in excellent form. His strength and confidence when in possession is a real plus for his team, and he produced a couple of brilliant points to help them to victory. Gaels, for their part, can take confidence from another fine display against senior opposition.

But on a day when a point would have secured their safety in Division 2, they must go to Dungloe in their final game knowing that relegation, even through a play-off, is still a possibility.

Cormac Cannon was again excellent for Gaels. and there were good performances too from Niall Diver at the back, the raiding Diarmuid Cahill and Kevin Langan up top.

Played at Páirc na nGael, MacCumhaill’s had the upper hand in the first half with Wilson and Bradley-Walsh scoring three points each to help them into a 0-6 to 0-3 half-time lead.

The big talking point at the break however, centred on two great goal chances squandered by the home side. Both opportunities came shortly before the break with Conor McBrearty shooting wide after being set up by Kevin Langan and then soon after MacCumhaill’s keeper Eoin Gallen raced from his line to smother Cannon’s close range effort.

Cannon showed his quality with a fine score to get the second half up and running. But MacCumhaill’s hit back with good scores of their own, first from Keegan and then Bradley-Walsh from a mark. 

Chasing the game and trailing by 0-8 to 0-4, Gaels created yet another good goal chance but again, McBrearty saw an effort blocked. But they kept in touch thanks to a Cannon free and a lovely score from Ronan Frain. McBrearty from a mark reduced the deficit to just a point and then Cannon levelled the scores at 0-8 apiece with a free.

Frain kicked Gaels in front for the first time in the game on 49 minutes, clinically finishing a move that started from back under the Gaels posts. MacCumhaill’s needed a response and they got it when substitute Benny McLaughlin made an immediate impact with an equalising point.

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A free from Bradley-Walsh edged the visitors in front again and Keegan, with a carbon copy of his first score, curled over a delightful point off the outside of his boot to make it 0-11 to 0-9.

Wilson kicked a wonderful long range point to stretch the lead out to three with just four minutes left on the watch.

But Gaels, in their first campaign under new joint managers Paul Melaugh and Dougie Corbett, came again and two quick-fire Cannon frees reduced the lead to just the minimum as the game entered injury-time.

However, for the home side, there just wasn’t enough time left to conjure up the equaliser which their performance deserved.

Letterkenny Gaels scorers: Cormac Cannon 0-6, 5f; Conor McBrearty 0-2, 1f; Ronan Frain 0-2; Kevin Langan 0-1,
Seán MacCumhaill’s scorers: Joel Bradley-Walsh 0-5, 2 ‘45s, 2f; Gary Wilson 0-4; Jamie Keegan 0-2, Benny McLaughlin 0-1

Letterkenny Gaels: Shane Graham; Liam McAleavy, Niall Diver, Conor Browne; Sean McDonagh, Ray Quinn, Diarmuid Cahill; Darren McBrearty, Paddy Doherty; Brain Diver, Darren Hunter, Cormac Cannon; Ronan Frain, Conor McBrearty, Kevin Langan. Subs: Shaun Crossan for McAleavy (39), Stephen O’Brien for Doherty (48), Conor Walker for McDonagh (49), Shay Doherty for C McBrearty (55).

Seán MacCumhaill’s: Eoin Gallen; Eoin McGonagle, Ronan McMenamin, Cian Mulligan; Alan Sproule, Andrew McCloskey, Chad McSorley; Gavin Gallagher, Padhraic Patton; Carl Dunnion, Gary Wilson, Jamie Keegan; Steven O’Reilly, Joel Bradley-Walsh, Gary Dunnion. Subs: Benny McLaughlin for McSorley (53), Rory Mulligan for K Dunnion (54).

Referee: Michael McShane (Kilcar).