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Naomh Columba squeeze a draw 20.05.10
Intermediate Football Championship – preliminary round

Moville...2 - 4
(N. McMonagle 0-2; S. Hegarty 0-1; M. McDermott 1-0; G. Doherty 1-0 and J. Faulkner 0-1 (’45))

Naomh Columba...1 - 7
(C. Butler 1-1; O. McGinley 0-1 (1f); M. Byrne 0-1 (1f); N. Hegarty 0-3 (3f); N. McGinley 0-1)

by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at Carrick Field, Moville

LEADING by five points ten minutes into the second half of this low scoring Intermediate Championship encounter, Moville looked home and hosed but could muster only one more score and were eventually held to a draw by Naomh Columba last Saturday night.
Behind by 1-3 to 0-2 at the break, Naomh Columba introduced Michael Byrne and Noel Hegarty to telling effect. Both men contributed handsomely to Glen’s improved second half display. Hegarty scored a 35th minute free, while another of the old guard, Noel McGinley, scored an inspirational point from 40 metres out on 39 minutes.
Graeme Doherty burst the net with a 40th minute goal to give Moville a 2-3 to 0-4 lead, and with Naomh Columba reeling Malachy McDermott got through on goal moments later but under a strong challenge his shot was blocked and the immediate danger averted.
A third Moville goal would have meant curtains for the visitors, but the men from Glen made the most of the let off and goaled just moments later. Two Moville defenders got in one another’s way as they tried to deal with a long ball, and Conor Butler was on hand to collect the loose ball and while keeper Maurice McGeady got a hand to it he couldn’t keep it out of the net.
With that the momentum swung to Naomh Columba, while the home side was unable to convert possession into scores – they dropped three balls into goalkeeper Pádraig O’Donnell’s hands in the third quarter alone and Joe McBride saw a shot hit the post and fall wide.
Noel Hegarty pointed another free to reduce the deficit to a single point, before O’Donnell – who showed tremendous form all night making several good saves – made a point blank save to deny Nigel McMonagle and John Faulkner struck the resulting 45 over the bar to re-establish Moville’s two point lead.
But Naomh Columba were picking up all the breaks around the middle. Noel Hegarty converted his third pointed free on 55 minutes and Butler hit the equaliser a minute later to loud cheers from noisy travelling support.
Playing down the hill, last year’s junior champions had dominated a first half marked by confusion over the new hand pass rule. Referee Mickey Mulhern awarded 30 frees in the first period, a dozen of them for hand pass infringements as both teams struggled to come to grips with the new rule.
Two early points from Nigel McMonagle and one superb effort from near the left sideline from impressive midfielder Seamus Hegarty had Moville 0-3 to 0-0 ahead before Oisin McGinley opened Naomh Columba’s account with a 16th minute free. The visitors would lose McGinley to a nasty shoulder injury before half time, and he will be in a race to get fit before the second leg in three week’s time.
Goalkeeper Pádraig O’Donnell made an acrobatic save from a Malachy McDermott punch on 20 minutes, but Moville got their goal on 25 minutes when John Faulkner’s 45 yard free hung invitingly in the air and McDermott punched it to the net.
Substitute Michael Byrne pointed a free with his first involvement on 31 minutes, but his side trailed by 1-3 to 0-2 at half time.
Naomh Columba brought in the reinforcements for the second half and got their just reward with a draw. Moville now have a big task ahead of them, needing to win in Glencolmcille in the second leg in three week’s time. Based on their performance in the Carrick Field, they are good enough to do that but they will have to improve their shooting.
Moville: Maurice McGeady; Eunan Hegarty, Paul White, Conor O’Donnell; Gearoid McQuillan, Danny Murphy, John McGeady; Sean O’Hare, Seamus Hegarty (0-1); Odhran McDermott, John Faulkner (0-1, 45), Joe McBride; Nigel McMonagle (0-2), Malachy McDermott (1-0), Graeme Doherty (1-0). Sub: Niall Cavanagh for O. McDermott (40 mins)

Naomh Columba: Pádraig O’Donnell; Kenneth Byrne, Ciaran McBrearty, Martin Cunningham; Barry Carr, Noel McGinley (0-1), Clement O’Gara; Dermot Maguire, Andrew O’Gara; Conor Butler (1-1), Kevin Cunningham, David O’Donnell; Liam Boyle, Oisin McGinley (0-1, 1 f), Gavin McGinley. Subs: Michael Byrne (0-1, 1f) for O. McGinley (29 mins); Noel Hegarty (0-3, 3f) for L. Boyle (half-time); David Gillespie for G. McGinley (33 mins).

For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent.
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