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Malin, Urris and Burt avoid
relegation
05.11.08
by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent
SALVATION came with a kick of the ball for local
clubs at the weekend as Malin, Urris and Burt all
avoided relegation in the All County Leagues.
Malin finished their relegation play-off with Fanad
Gaels strongly to ensure Division 1B football at
Connolly Park next season with a 1-11 to 0-5
victory.
Urris too put in a good second half display to
defeat Bundoran at Straid by 1-10 to 0-11 and ensure
that they don’t get dragged into the Division 2
relegation play-offs. Burt lost out away to Na Rossa,
but Bundoran’s defeat means that they will join
Downings in the relegation play-off while Burt
remain in Division 2 alongside Urris.
“The game went to plan for us but to be honest it’s
just a relief to get it over and done with,” said
Pat McLaughlin. “We had a very bad start to the
season, but this young team showed great resilience
and dug out several important victories.”
Sunday’s match was Malin’s fourth since July. “We
had 12 game played by the end of June, and just four
games in the four months since,” McLaughlin said.
“The fixtures schedule needs to be addressed so that
something like this doesn’t happen again.”
“We need to be remaining at this level if we’re to
continue to develop as a club, and we’re just glad
to have done so,” McLaughlin concluded.
Relief was also the over-riding emotion in Urris.
“It was four weeks since our last game and we hadn’t
done a lot of training since,” Urris manager Brendan
Donaghy admitted. “But most of the lads are training
with the local soccer clubs and are in pretty good
shape.”
“We had 19 first team players on Saturday, and we
needed every one of them because Bundoran travelled
here with a very strong team. Our subs made a big
contribution, Mickey Harkin got the goal while Brian
Doherty got a point late on, and that was the
winning of the game.”
Donaghy paid tribute to his players for the efforts
over the season, but reserved special praise for his
assistant manager Michael Junior McLaughlin. “He
made a massive effort throughout the campaign and
was a great motivator for the lads,” Donaghy said.
“His half time team talks had to be heard to be
believed.”
Mickey Harkin may have been the toast of Urris, but
80 miles west his goal was being cheered by the Burt
footballers. A makeshift Burt side lost to Na Rossa
by 4-4 to 1-6 to potentially leave themselves in
danger of the drop, but Urris’ victory over Bundoran
ensured that it was the south Donegal side who will
face into a relegation play-off.
“We were in the dressing room after the match when
the word came through that Urris had beaten Bundoran,”
Burt captain Kevin McDermott said. “There was a big
cheer of relief.”
Describing Burt’s display against Na Rossa as his
side’s poorest in several weeks, McDermott was
relieved that Burt don’t have to travel to Bundoran
next Sunday looking for a result.
“It takes the pressure off us, we’ll be able to go
down there and enjoy the game now. Having come
within a kick of promotion to Division 1B last
season, we were in danger of being relegated to
Division 4.”
Carndonagh’s defeat in the Ulster Junior Club
Championship to Monaghan champions Drumhowan means
they will be able to concentrate on gaining
promotion from Division 3. They have two games
remaining – away to both Naomh Ultan and Red Hugh’s
– and will need to win both of those if they’re to
claim the automatic promotion spot.
Meanwhile Naomh Pádraig Iskaheen need to win their
final game against Red Hugh’s, and hope that the
Killygordon side don’t win either of their two
remaining games, if they are to qualify for the
promotion play-off. |
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