BUNDORAN ROUNDED OFF their marathon season with elevation to Division One of the All-County Football League.
Bundoran 0-10 Four Masters 1-5
Brian Gavigan’s team had the disappointment of losing the Ulster Intermediate final after the euphoria of the domestic IFC but they held it together to see off Four Masters in an occasionally tetchy promotion-relegation play-off at Munday’s Field in Ballyshannon today.
Referee Connie Doherty might’ve brandished a number of cards throughout, but with it so close to Christmas he might’ve resisted. However, in injury time Karl Lacey was given a straight red for striking Tommy Hourihane as tempers spilled over.
With the aid of the breeze and hill, Bundoran had gone in at 0-8 to 0-4 in front, having started in electric fashion with Christy Keaney scoring two as they led 0-4 to 0-0 after 12 minutes.
Four Masters, though, hung in and by the 25th minute – courtesy of scores from Michael Doherty, Dillon Ward and Kevin McBrearty – were only 0-5 to 0-3 down but Bundoran finished the half strongly.
Keaney, Peter McGonigle and Shane Moohan set up their four-point half-time lead.
The conditions and the time of year meant it was a battle and for Four Masters to make an indent on the scoreline, they needed to hit the ground running in the second half.
But whilst they shot wides and were denied by some resolute defending, Four Masters didn’t make inroads.
At the other end, Hourihane scored twice to extend Bundoran’s lead out to 0-10 to 0-4 – they didn’t kick their first wide of the day till the 38th minute.
Moohan might’ve made the game safe on 44 minutes, only to see Aaron McCrea make a wonderful block in front of goal moments after being introduced.
Four Masters finally managed a gallop when Barry Monaghan got free in a pocket of space and hammered a goal past Johnny Keenan in the Bundoran goal to make it 0-10 to 1-4
That came in the 55th minute and in the last minute, Monaghan drove just wide in an attempt to level following good play from Lacey and Doherty.
However, that was as close as the Donegal town outfit would come – despite a late Ward point – and over the course of the hour and maybe even the season, they can’t really complain about the predicament that awaits them in Division Two next season.
For Bundoran, there were smiling faces at the final whistle, with plenty to look forward to in 2016.
https://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=olqYTZ0YbB0
Bundoran: Johnny Keenan; Shane Carr, James Keaney, Pauric Rooney; Paul Brennan, Shane McGowan, Diarmuid McCaughey; Ciaran McCaughey, Peter McGonigle (0-1); Alan Russell, Gary Clancy (0-2, 1f, 45), Shane Moohan (0-1); Tommy Hourihane (0-3, 1f), Christy Keaney (0-3), Darragh Hoey. Subs: Johnny Boyle for Moohan (46), Niall Dunne for Hoey (50), Diarmaid Spratt for Russell (55).
Four Masters: Ryan Haughey; Kevin Breslin, Darragh Quinn, Dylan Kennedy; Sean O’Kennedy, Karl Lacey, Josh Lacey; Luke Keaney, Leo McHugh; Kevin McBrearty (0-1), Sean Meehan, Caolan Loughney; Dillon Ward (0-3, 2f), Michael Doherty (0-1), Barry Monaghan (1-0). Subs: John Boyle, Aaron McCrea and Peadar Espey for Loughney, Meehan and J Lacey (42), Barry Dunnion for O’Kennedy (50), Dillon Muldoon for Keaney (52).
Referee: Connie Doherty (Naomh Conaill).
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