Kilcar's Mark McHugh in a tussle for posession with Malin's Declan Walsh, in midfield. Photo: Michael O'Donnell.
KILCAR 2-11 MALIN 0-06
BY HARRY WALSH
KILCAR, comforted by two goals in the third quarter, finally eased past the challenge of Malin in this Senior Football Championship Preliminary Round, First leg tie, in Towney on Saturday evening.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for James McHugh’s side however against their hard working, well organised Division Two opponents and they’ll have to bring their ‘A game’ to Inishowen if they are to prevent the tie going to a third leg.
The Kilcar men were kept scoreless for the opening 23 minutes, by which time they trailed by four points, while a Brendan McLaughlin point late in the day was Malin’s only score of the final 24 minutes.
By the time the Malin substitute fired over their sixth point, the Kilcar supporters were already celebrating victory thanks to two early second half goals from Ashley Carr and Barry Doherty.
A back injury prevented Malin’s main free-taker Anthony Kelly from taking part on Saturday while the home side, who have lost the services of Conor McManus this year, were also minus David McShane through injury.
Another McShane, Conor, would last only 18 minutes however with the manager’s son Eoin being thrust into the action.
By that stage, Kilcar were four points in arrears but Malin would be kept scoreless for the remainder of the half.
Seven wides were posted by the home side during a wasteful opening thirty minutes while the wides continued with the men from Towney dragging four more efforts wide of their intended target in the second half.
Both sides created some early chances before Malin got the scoreboard ticking five minutes into the game. A well-worked move featuring Gary Farren and Declan Walsh was flicked over the bar by Dan McDaid, a nice finish after a well worked attack.
Two minutes later McDaid found his range again, this time taking full advantage of Matthew Byrne’s short free kick into space. Further scores from Byrne (free) and Paul McLaughlin had the visitors four points to the good on 18 minutes.
The introduction of Eoin McHugh coincided with Kilcar coming back into things and Patrick McBrearty fired over their first point from close range on 23 minutes after ‘man of the match’ Pauric Carr had created the opening.
Two more McBrearty points, one of them from a placed ball, brought Kilcar back to within a point as the first half drew to a close.
Malin needed an early score to lift morale on the resumption. But two more McBrearty points (1 free) saw Kilcar edge ahead for the first time in the contest on 34 minutes.
Two minutes later Matthew Byrne restored parity with a fine left footed effort but they received a killer-blow moments later when Ashley Carr ran on to a pass from Mark McHugh and raced through to blast home the game’s opening goal.
McBrearty tagged on two more points from frees before Kilcar added a second goal on the three quarter mark. County senior players Mark McHugh and Patrick McBrearty combined well before Barry Doherty steeped up to slam home past Daniel Mullarkey in style.
Three more unanswered points from Ryan McHugh (free), Carr and McBrearty (free) moved Kilcar eleven points clear.
Malin substitute Brendan McLaughlin and McBrearty exchanged late points but there was no denying the right of Kilcar to edge that little bit closer to a first round meeting with St Eunan’s.
Kilcar: Eamon McGinley; Luke Carr, Barry Shovlin, Pauric Carr; Ryan McHugh (0-1, 1f), Conor McShane, Noel Hegarty; Mark McHugh, Michael Hegarty; Ciaran McGinley, Mark Sweeney, Glen McBrearty; Ashley Carr (1-1), Patrick McBrearty (0-9, 5f), Barry Doherty (1-0). Sub: Eoin McHugh for McShane (18 mins).
Malin: Daniel Mullarkey; John G McLaughlin, Damien Harkin, Charlie Byrne; Gary Farren, Conor Farren, John McLaughlin, Declan Walsh, Paddy Kelly; Dan McDaid (0-2), Matthew Byrne (0—2, 1f), Patrick McColgan; Paul McLaughlin (0-1), Terence Doherty, Michael Byrne Subs: Brendan McLaughlin (0-1) for John McLaughlin (42 mins), Seamus Doherty for McDaid (55 mins)
Referee: Ian Molloy (Naomh Conaill).
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