GLENSWILLY WON FOR the third home game on the bounce in Division 1 but were certainly given a fright by Cloughaneely this afternoon.
Glenswilly 1-14 Cloughaneely 1-12
The side managed by Brendan Walsh looked to have an unassailable lead when Brian Farrelly rammed home a 28th minute goal and Gary McFadden added a point soon afterwards gave Glenswilly a 1-10 to 0-1 lead. However, Cloughaneely managed to get a goal back a minute later when John Fitzgerald swivelled to shoot past Philip O’Donnell.
Then, in the second half, with Ciaran McGeady having been given a straight red for a strike on Kealan McFadden, the visitors, with the wind at their backs, made significant inroads with nine unanswered points to trail by the minimum, 1-12 to 1-11, with just five minutes left. Michael Murphy, though, kicked two late scores to ensure the home win.
Glenswilly, who overcame St Michael’s and Dungloe on the last two weekends, started impressively and left their opponents chasing shadows to being with. The hosts wee five points up inside seven minutes and 0-7 to 0-0 in front by the 17th.
Murphy was joined on the scoreboard by the impressive Gary McFadden, Ciaran Bonner and Farrelly before Kevin Mulhern belatedly opened Cloughaneely’s account on 20 minutes with a neat score.
But that proved to be the exception and not the rule as Glenswilly clicked back into gear with Caoimhinn Marley and Gary McFadden registering before Farrelly finished off a flowing move that involved Ciaran Gibbons, Neil and Cathal Gallagher.
All at sea, Cloughaneely might’ve been forgiven for throwing in the towel but they manufactured a goal when Fitzgerald turned Mark McAteer from a diagonal ball in from Martin Maguire to net for the visitors. At the break, it was 1-10 to 1-1 for Glenswilly.
Although now facing the elements, early scores from Neil Gallagher and Murphy scored either side of a Fitzgerald strike and it was 1-12 to 1-2.
Without the services of McGeady, though, Cloughaneely enjoyed their best spell of the contest, with Martin Maguire showing the way with a couple of excellent long-range scores and Fitzgerald, Sean Maguire, Lee O’Brien and Mark Harley all scoring in a 20-minute spell when they also bolted Glenswilly out.
Just a point in front now, 1-12 to 1-11, Glenswilly were getting jittery but Murphy’s two scores late on – again either side of a Fitzgerald score – settled those nerves and they made it over the line. Just.
Glenswilly:Philip O’Donnell; Shane McDaid, Eamonn Ward, Mark McAteer; Ciaran Gibbons, Sean Wogan, Ciaran Bonner (0-1); Caoimhinn Marley (0-1), Neil Gallagher (0-1); Cathal Gallagher, Caolan Kelly, Gary McFadden (0-4); Kealan McFadden, Michael Murphy (0-5, 3f), Brian Farrelly (1-1). Subs: Joe Gibbons for C Gallagher (46), Ruairi Crawford for McDaid (51), Shane McDevitt for K McFadden (56).
Cloughaneely:Shaun McCafferty; Michael Fitzgerald, Ciaran Scanlon, John Harley; Kevin Mulhern (0-1), Paddy Cannon, Mark Halvey (0-1); Lee O’Brien (0-1), Martin Maguire (0-2); Aidan Doohan, Shaun McGarvey (0-3), John McGarvey; Ciaran McGeady, Sean Maguire, John Fitzgerald (1-3). Subs: Denis Boyle (0-1, 45) for S McGarvey (half-time), Ciaran McFadden for Doohan (50), S McGarvey for Maguire (50), Cian McFadden for O’Brien (60).