Glenfin edge out Buncrana in a rip-roaring U-21B clash 

Josh Bradley struck a late point as Glenfin came from the behind to snatch a dramatic win over Buncrana in their U-21B championship quarter-final clash at O’Donnell Park. 

Glenfin 0-11
Buncrana 1-7 

Bradle was on the field for the last 20 minutes and landed the winner two minutes into time added on to clinch the win and a place in the last four.

Luke McGlynn had levelled a rip roaring contest for the fifth time with a delightful strike and shortly after the Sean Doherty-inspired Buncrana took the lead for only the second time in the contest. 

County U-20 Doherty was outstanding throughout and not only did he restrict Glenfin sharpshooter to one point from play but also drove his side forward in the second period after they had fallen behind.

Sean McLaughlin, Buncrana’s top scorer, had edged his side ahead on 56 minutes after the surging Doherty was dragged back as he bore down on the Glenfin posts.

The Inishowen men - who were without key forwards Kevin and Liam Jordan, who were both injured - got the game off to a dream start with a goal inside a minute. Corner forward Fiachra McGill struck when the ball broke loose in the Glenfin goalmouth from a Sean McLaughlin 40-metre free. 

But Glenfin, who were without Daniel Marley, responded well to the Buncrana green flag. And driven on by Shaun Ward, who was outstanding throughout in the middle of the field, the men from the Gaeltacht Lár hit the next five scores to lead 0-5 to 1-0 after 17 minutes. Luke McGlynn and Kane McGlynn were buzzing up front along with Ward.

It took Buncrana, who were enjoying a fair share of the possession in the early exchanges 20 minutes to register their next score, which was a pointed Sean McLaughlin free.
Buncrana changed tact in the closing 10 minutes of the half and began to run at the Glenfin defence. This tactic worked and yielded two frees, both converted by McLaughlin to send the sides in all square - Glenfin 0-6, Buncrana 1-3 - at half-time.

There was little between the sides in the early minutes of the second half and with defences on top Glenfin led by a point 0-8 to 1-4 going into the final quarter hour. 

But three Buncrana points without reply saw the tide turned as Niall Bernard McLaughin and Sean McLaughlin scores saw Buncrana hit the front to set up a frenetic finish with Glenfin, who on balance over the 60 plus minutes were marginally the better side.   

Glenfin scorers: Luke McGlynn 0-3,2f; Shaun Ward 0-3, 2f, 45; Odhran O’Connor 0-2; Kane McGlynn, Gavin McCormack and Josh Bradley 0-1.
Buncrana scorers: Sean McLaughlin 0-4, 4f; Fiachra McGill 1-0; Niall Bernard McLaughlin 0-2; David Carey 0-1. 

Glenfin: Niall Campbell McMenamin; Niall Doherty, Jack Marley, Darragh Carroll; Eoin McGarrell, Odhran McGlynn, Ross Bradley; Jack Long, Shaun Ward; Gavin McCormack, Matthew Wooton, Shaun Marley; Odhran O’Connor, Kane McGlynn, Luke McGlynn. Sub: Josh Bradley for E Garrell (40).
Buncrana: Rory Scott; Jamie Friel, Sean Doherty, Caolan O’Neill; Darragh Corry, Oisin Crawford, David Carey; Sean McLaughlin, Michael Bernard McLaughlin, Kevin O’Rourke; Matthew Mulholland, Sean Daly; Fionn McColgan, Niall Breslin, Fiachra McGill. Subs: Ryan Downey for F McColgan (40), Fionn McColgan for  F McGill (54).
Referee: James Connors (St Eunan’s).