The final round one game of the opening weekend of the Intermediate championship was played in perfect conditions and brought together St.Mary’s Convoy and one of the fancied teams, Buncrana, in Pairc Naomh Mhuire.
The teams shared four points in the opening quarter, Gavin Sweeney and Johnny Toye for Convoy, William McLaughlin and Caolan McGonagle for Buncrana.
Buncrana then knocked over two quick points from sub J P McKenna, who had just replaced Conor Grant, and John Campbell to lead 0-4 to 0-2.
However that would be their last score of the half and Convoy hit back with the final three scores of the half as Johnny Toye got his second of the game, Paddy Dolan from play and Joe McGill with a fine 45 conversion left it 0-05 to 0-04 to the home team at the break and Buncrana with it all to do.
The visitors opened the second-half with points from William McLaughlin and John Campbell and when Caolan McGonagle raced 60meters and floated a super point over from the Convoy 45, Buncrana led by two 0-07 to 0-05 , despite having kicked 12 wides to that point.
Convoy responded well and two Johnny Toye point, his third and fourth of the game had them level at 0-07 apiece in the 43rd minute.
Oisin O Flaherty put Buncrana ahead again with a point and then Darach O Conner struck a huge blow for Buncrana when he pounced on a short kick-out and burst past two defenders and blasted the ball into the roof of the net , 1-08 to 0-07 and despite all those wides Buncrana in control.
Gavin Sweeney and Corey Lee Bogan added points for Convoy but McGonagle, Campbell, O Conner and Ryan McElhinney all kicked points from play as Buncrana, despite 18 wides ran out comfortable winners by 1-12 to 0-09 and a good start to their championship campaign.
Convoy: Mark Gordon, Keelin Gillen , Conor McDermott , John Moore , Conor Bonner, John Doherty , Brendan Bonner , Liam Toye , Pauric Gordon, Paddy Dolan ( 0-01), Laurence McMullan , John Toye (0-4), Corey Lee Bogan (0-1), , Joe McGill (0-1,45), Gavin Sweeney (0-2).
Subs: Liam Prunty for Bonner (19mins), Peter Blake for McMullan (55 mins)
Buncrana: Harry Doherty; Stephen J Doherty, Sean Doherty, Conor Grant; Aiden Stokes, Wiliam McLaughlin (0-02 ), Oisin Crawford , Peter McLaughlin , Caolan McGonagle 0-03), Oisin O Flaherty (0-01), Darach O Conner (1-1), Ryan McElhinney,(0-01), Ben Bradley , John Campbell (0-03/2f’s), Adrian Doherty.
Subs: J P McKenna (0-1) for Grant (10mins), Ryan Hegarty for Sean Doherty (22mins), Michael Bernard McLaughlin for O Flaherty (50mins).
Referee: Val Murray.
