Buncrana get Intermediate championship campaign back on track with win over Burt

Buncrana got their Intermediate championship campaign back on track with a three point win over Burt at the Scarvey on Sunday afternoon.

Having opened up a seven point lead in a wind-assisted first half, Buncrana led by five at the break.

And while Burt got a two pointer with their first attack of the second half, Buncrana dominated possession and were on top at midfield as they reeled off six points without reply to lead by 0-14 to 0-5 by the 50th minute.

County star Caolan McGonagle was central to most of Buncrana’s best passages of play, driving forward and laying off passes for the likes of Dylan Mulholland and Michael Bernard McLaughlin to put over the bar.

Burt lost first Conor Gartland and then Oisin Kelly to overlapping black cards during a frenetic second half and were down to 13 men for a spell which hampered their cause, and while they defended well they struggled to create clear cut opportunities at the other end.

However, a two-pointer from midfielder Stephen O’Donnell as Gartland rejoined the fray kick-started a late Burt surge.

They’d add further two pointers from Jack O’Brien and Sean McHugh - the latter with the last kick of the game - but ’Crana had two point man of their own, McGonagle striking over from a placed ball to quell Burt’s late revival and ensure a home win.

Read more: Muff and Malin draw in round 2

Playing with the breeze, Buncrana were in the mood from the get-go and with John Campbell to the fore they opened up an 0-8 to 0-1 lead by the 21st minute, the big man helping himself to half that total.

Oisin Crawford and Michael Bernard McLaughlin contributed a point apiece in that opening salvo, while veteran William McLaughlin scored two as Buncrana put a hard press on the Burt kickout and kept the visitors penned into their own half.

Campbell was black carded five minutes before the break – the first of three players to see black over the hour – and that gave Burt an opening that they made the best of.

Buncrana’s tackling was fierce and the Burt forwards were blocked time and again, but eventually they fired over a couple of scores through Conor Gartland that reduced the margin to five, 0-8 to 0-3, ahead of the change of ends.

Mark McElhinney got the opening score of the second half, a two pointer that was allowed hop over Adam Harrigan’s crossbar within three minutes of the restart.

But with Buncrana back to their full complement soon after when Campbell returned after the black card, they started to turn the screw.

Dylan Mulholland pointed a free and Michael Bernard McLaughlin struck over from play before Burt had Conor Gartland black carded on 42 minutes.

Caolan McGonagle, who was fairly well minded by Ronan McDermott and Stephen O’Donnell throughout, slipped away from his markers and went on a trademark drive that ended with a layoff for Mullholland to swing over a point that put Buncrana six clear.

Burt missed a couple of big chances to reduce the deficit. Calvin Gallagher was off target from a free kick off the ground outside the arc, and then the same player latched onto a rebound after substitute Darragh Donaghey saw a goal attempt saved.

Gallagher captains the Buncrana Hearts soccer team, and he showed good footwork to dribble the ball across the square, but with keeper Adam Harrigan beaten his cutback was hacked off the goal-line by a retreating defender.

It was a big moment in the contest, and when Burt lost corner back Oisin Kelly to a black card moments later their number was almost up.

Down to 13 and required to keep three men in attack, Burt were outnumbered 9 v 11 in their own half and were given a bit of a chasing.

Caolan McGonagle fired over a two point effort from out on the right, and Dylan Mulholland followed up a 51stminute point that extended Buncrana’s lead to nine.

With Gartland and later Kelly returning from the sin bin, Burt finished well striking late two pointers from O’Donnell, O’Brien and McHugh, and getting a good showing from their teenage subs Darragh Donaghey and Andrew Walker who both got on the scoresheet, but Buncrana were never in much danger - Caolan McGonagle’s 61st minute two point free the insurance score.

The win over Burt followed a defeat to Malin seven days earlier, and next Sunday Buncrana complete their mini Inishowen-championship-within-a-championship when they host Muff at the Scarvey.

Burt had an opening day win over Fanad, and must pick themselves up for the visit of Bundoran to Hibernian Park on Saturday.

Buncrana scorers: John Campbell 0-4 (one 2pt, 1f); Caolan McGonagle 0-4 (one 2pt, one 2pt free); Dylan Mulholland 0-3 (1f); William McLaughlin 0-2; Michael Bernard McLaughlin 0-2; Oisin Crawford 0-1.

Burt scorers: Sean McHugh 0-3 (2pt, 1f); Conor Gartland 0-2; Stephen O’Donnell 0-2 (2pt); Mark McElhinney 0-2 (2pt); Jack O’Brien (2pt free); Darragh Donaghey 0-1; Andrew Walker 0-1

Buncrana: Adam Harrigan; Cathal McNutt, Darragh Corry, JP McKenna; Andrew Davison, Sean Doherty, William McLaughlin; Oisin Crawford, Caolan McGonagle; Oisin O’Flaherty, Michael B McLaughlin, Michael Gallagher; Ryan Bradley, John Campbell, Dylan Mulholland. Subs: Billy Duffy and Aaron Cleary for R Bradley and O O’Flaherty (both 45 mins); Sean McLaughlin for J Campbell (58 mins).

Burt: Niall McGlynn; Leo Kelly, Tom Doherty, Oisin Kelly; Dara Grant, Denver Kelly, Darren Gallagher; Stephen O’Donnell, Ronan McDermott; Conor Gartland, Sean McHugh, Keith McColgan; Calvin Gallagher, Mark McElhinney, Jack O’Brien. Subs: Darragh Donaghey for M McElhinney (39 mins); Andrew Walker and Martin Donaghey for C Gallagher and D Grant (both 46 mins).

Referee: Pat Barrett (Milford)