Buncrana keep their push on for promotion as they jump into the play-off spot

Buncrana kept their promotion hopes very much alive with a hard-fought four-point win over Dungloe in the Scarvey on Friday night. 

This win leapfrogs Milford into third place in the table and into the promotion play-off spot. The Gary Duffy-managed side are on 15 points, one behind second-placed Killybegs and one ahead of Milford with three games to play. 

Dylan Mulholland top-scored for the winners with eight points, John Campbell, Oisin Crawford, Peter McLaughlin, and Kevin Treacy also got on the scoreboard.  

Barry Curran was Dungloe’s leading scorer with four points, while Aaron Ward and Adam Neely posted two each, while Dylan Sweeney, Eoin Gallagher, and Conor Greene hit one each for the men from the Rosses.  

The bulk of the Buncrana points were from frees while all of Dungloe’s scorers were from play.  

In a crunch tie for the two teams in the promotion race this was a do-or-die battle and a must-win game and unless something drastic happens to the teams at the top, this defeat more or less ends Dungloe’s promotion race, although they still have a shot with 3 games to go. 

The locals began as if they meant business and they were 0-5 to 0-2 up after 20 minutes and they led 0-7 to 0-4 at half-time.  

John Campbell, Oisin Crawford, Dylan Mulholland, and Kevin Treacy hit the target for the winners.   

Eoin Gallagher, Conor Greene, Adam Neely, and Barry Curran raised the Dungloe white flags in the opening half hour.  

The game really picked up in the second half and Curran, Dungloe’s standout player on the night, led a second-half surge that saw Dungloe cut the home team’s lead to one by the three-quarter mark.  

The trusty boot of Mulholland restored Buncrana’s two-point advantage in the early seconds of the final quarter. 

Although they fell down to 14 men after Aaron Neely was black carded towards the end of the game, Dungloe pressed for most of the remainder of the match but they were picked off on the counter and were outscored 0-4 to 0-1 in the closing exchanges.  

Buncrana: Adam Harrigan; Evan McCallion, Sean Doherty, William McLaughlin; Oisin Grant, John Paul McKenna, Oisin Crawford; Peter McLaughlin, Jack O’Loughlin; John Campbell, Dylan Milholland, Liam Jordan; Oisin O’Flaherty, Kevin Treacy, Darach O’Connor. Subs: Conor Graham for O’Flaherty; Darragh Corry for L Jordan.  

Dungloe: Danny Rodgers; Jason McBride, Conor O’Donnell, Danny McGlynn; Aaron Neely, Karl McGee, Aaron Ward; Ryan Connors, Matthew Ward; Dylan Sweeney, Barry Curran, Oran Gallagher; Daire Gallagher, Conor Greene, Adam Neely. Subs:Noel McBride for C Greene; Conor Diver for A Neely. 

Referee: Daniel Carlin (Naomh Padraig, Lifford)