Campbell goal continues the rise of Doire Colmcille

Doire Colmcille 1-10  |  O’Connor’s Glack 0-11

Doire Colmcille continued their fine early season form with a hard fought but ultimately deserved win over Glack on Saturday evening.

A third victory, plus that impressive draw with Lissan first day out, has propelled the city side up to third in a very competitive Division Three.

Star man Mal Campbell banged home the key score of the contest, accounting for the game’s only goal in the 38th minute. The jet-heeled midfielder’s penchant for keeping the scoreboard regularly ticking over, amassing six frees over the hour, was as crucial as his goal.

Dee Watson was also at his outstanding best, heavily involved in everything that was good about the home side, and driving forward for two important points into the bargain.

But this win was by no means a two man show. This was an all-round team performance. From the evergreen netminder Mickey Nash keeping a clean sheet and pretty unerring with his kick out, to veterans James Gillespie and Ryan Loughran rolling back the years. Full-back Fearghal McAnaney was bombing forward in the last minute of the match, while Ciaran Curran, Tommy McBride and Joe McCarton probably edged the midfield joust.

Opponents Glack’s topsy turvy season continues, mixing the good, the bad and the ugly. The O’Connor’s, gradually building up towards Championship pitch, were strangely underpar. And while they finally found something anywhere near top gear when, despite a man down, they hit six of the last seven points of the contest, it would prove too little, too late.

Ryan Morgan and Niall McGowan shared eight points between them, while battled hardened warriors Jimmy O’Connor and Eddie McLaughlin both played pivotal roles over the hour. Brother Ciaran and Liam O’Brien ran tirelessly in, ultimately, a losing cause. Luke McLaughlin was probably the pick of the Glack defenders on a day when his side simply didn’t match their opponent’s intensity.

The 2025 summer solstice brought with it some unseasonably and blisteringly hot sunshine. Colmcille settled best at the Costa Del Lowry’s Lane, flying to a 0-5 to 0-2 lead. Free-takers Mal Campbell and Niall McGowan swapped points to get us up and running before the hosts, and Campbell in particular wearing his good Superman pyjamas, nailed four unanswered points to hand his side an early advantage.

Glack’s Cormac Boyle powers forward with the ball against Doire Colmcille at Pairc Colmcille.

To their credit, yet still struggling for any real rhythm or form, Glack responded to level matters by half-time.

Jimmy O’Connor, and Cormac Boyle set up Adam O’Kane’s opening point. Niall McGowan sailed over the best point of the half soon after, before the same man converted a free after Marty McGonigle had been pole-axed running in on goal.

Half-time: Doire Colmcille 0-05 - 0-05 Glack

Whatever was said in the inner sanctums of the half-time changing rooms, Doire Colmcille blasted out of the blocks shortly after the restart defying the energy-sapping humidity. Gerard Doherty’s men, with the scent of blood in their nostrils, hit an unanswered 1-4 which would be the winning of this tie.

Joe McCarton, with John McCorry the key assister, began the scoring spurge. Dee Watson followed that up with a point that had the talismanic Colmcille man’s DNA all over – all power, passion and precision. Ryan Loughran then sent over a fine effort from just inside the big arc.

Glack’s Martin McGonigle looks for support at Pairc Colmcille.

Better was to come, however. Much better. John McCorry, unusually quiet all game and well policed by Glack’s Luke McLaughlin, sublimely dummied a point effort before playing an inch pass into the arms of the unmarked Mal Campbell. Campbell is a man you should never afford space to, and he sped towards goal before drilling home the only goal of the game.

A free from the same man brought their 15 minute power play to an end and stretched the Colmcille lead to 1-9 to 0-5.

The O’Connor’s, sloppy and second best for the first three quarters, finally found some fight in the last quarter. Seemingly dead and buried, the countrymen burst open the coffin.

A brace from Ryan Morgan, the first a lovely curling effort from distance, sandwiched a Cormac Boyle point squirted over from an acute angle. A Niall McGowan free left the visitors just the goal adrift before a straight red card for Tommy O’Kane threatened to derail Glack’s late game come-back. ,

However, two further points from Morgan, the second of which really should have worked goalkeeper Mickey Nash, left Glack just two behind. And with a real white knuckle conclusion on the cards, Ciaran Brolly’s final whistle brought an untimely end to their creditable fight back.

But built on venom and bite, no shortage of hunger, this was Doire Colmcille’s day.

Action from the Doire Colmcille vs. Glack at Pairc Colmcille.

The O’Connor’s can look to bigger and better days ahead, but only if they can resolve the glitches in performance. Colmcille, on the other hand, are sizzling along nicely.

Doire Colmcille: Michael Nash, David O’Connor, Fearghal McAnaney, Tiernan Breslin, Conor Murphy, Dee Watson (0-2), Tommy McBride, Mal Campbell (1-6, 6f), Ciaran Curran, James Gillespie, Eamon McDaid, Joe McCarton (0-1), Tiarnan McKeever, Ryan Loughran (0-1)

Subs: Ethan McDaid for T McKeever (52), Shaun McColgan for R Loughran (55)

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Glack: Eoghan McLaughlin, Tommy O’Kane, Ryan O’Kane, Luke McLaughlin, Ciaran O’Brien, Jimmy O’Brien, Eddie McLaughlin, Eoin Mackey, Liam O’Brien, Marty McGonigle, Ryan Morgan (0-4, 1f), Niall McGowan (0-4, 3f), Cormac Boyle (0-1), Adam O’Kane (0-1), Aaron Moore (0-1)

Subs: Liam Moore for A Moore (41)

Referee: Ciaran Brolly (Claudy)