Malin seniors got their 2009 league campaign off to a perfect start with a good win against last years Senior Championship finalists Termon and the home side were well worth the win as they were clearly the better side throughout.

Malin hit the ground running right from the start, Damien Ward opening the scoring after some excellent possession football from the home side. Paddy McColgan and Anthony Kelly (free) tagged on points before a great pass from Ward found Charlie Byrne in acres of space and he put Malin four ahead after 9 minutes.

Termon were finding it difficult to get to grips with Malin in the early stages, Anthony Kelly and Michael Doherty dominating the mid-field area while the Malin forwards were running their opposition ragged and they could possibly have been further ahead before Kevin McMenamin opened the Termon scoring with an eleventh minute free, essentially the first attack from the visitors.

Paddy McColgan and Anthony Kelly doubled their personal tallies midway through the first half putting Malin into a 6 points to 1 lead before Darren Gibson steadied Termon somewhat with a score in the 16th minute. Damien Ward then extended the Malin lead to 5 with his second point before Termon’s best spell of the game, Pauric Hilferty, Trevor Alcorn and Olly Doherty all hitting scores in the last five minutes of the half leaving the score at the break, Malin 0-07, Termon 0-05, though the home side were denied a goal late on, a fine save from Michael Boyle with his legs from a Paddy McColgan effort.

Malin began the second half at the same blistering pace as they started the first, scores from substitute Gerard McLaughlin, Paddy McColgan(2) and a third Kelly free putting them 11 points to 5 ahead after six minutes. McMenamin hit his second free of the game after 10 minutes to reduce the deficit but a fine long range point from Anthony Kelly put the difference back to six points while Paddy McColgan was unlucky to see his punched effort go narrowly wide at a time when a goal for the home side would have ended the game as a contest.

A goal did come shortly after but it was the visiting side who scored, after McMenamin had pointed his third free of the day a high ball into the Malin goal area was collected by Olly Doherty and he drove home with 12 minutes remaining to leave just two points between the sides and the Malin defence possibly asking questions as to why Doherty was allowed so much space.

Termon drove forward with renewed belief but Malin stood firm and Anthony Kelly put three between the sides with his 4th free of the day. Kevin McMenamin hit his and Termon’s last score with 7 minutes left as Malin came back well at the end, two late frees from Kelly giving Malin a four point win, a winning start to the season and two valuable points in what is sure to be a tight division this year again. Final score Malin 0-15, Termon 1-08

Malin Team:
Declan Lafferty, Paul Lafferty, Damian Harkin, Conor Farren, Charlie Byrne(0-1), John McLaughlin, Declan Walsh, Michael Doherty, Anthony Kelly(0-7,6 frees), Eddie Kelly, Matthew Byrne, Danny Lafferty, Paddy McColgan(0-4), Damian Ward(0-2), Gary Farren
subs used Gerard McLaughlin(0-1), Robert Porter.

Termon Team
Michael Boyle, Sean O’Donnell, Jimmy McElwaine, Joe O’Donnell, Paul McDaid, Paddy McDaid, Jimmy Gallagher, Olly Doherty(1-01), John McCafferty, Darren Gibson(0-1), Trevor Alcorn(0-1), Francis Friel, Kevin McMenamin(0-4,all frees), Pauric Hilferty(0-1), Martin Sweeney.

Reserves: Malin 0-06 Termon 0-07

The reserve side was defeated by the minimum in their opening league game on Sunday. The first half was very entertaining with the sides going in level at the break 0-5 apiece but the second half disintegrated into a scrappy affair featuring only three scores, all of them frees with two going to Termon and one to Malin.

Malin Team
Ruari Kelly, Michael McLaughlin, Neil McGilloway, Henry Rodden, Gerard Greene, Brendan McLaughlin, Simon Ward, Danny Greene, Liam Lafferty(0-1), Gary Collins, William Logan(0-2,1 free), Gerard McLaughlin(0-2), Seamus Doherty, Terence Colhoun(0-1), Martin Ward, subs Jason Doherty, Steven McLaughlin, Philip McClean.

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