Belnaleck left it very late indeed to salvage a point from their opening Erne Cup Two game with neighbouring Kinawley.

The MacMurroughs had trailed all through the game, five points adrift at the break and though they had improved somewhat after the changeover, they were still in arrears as the final whistle beckoned. But then it all came right for them in a hectic closing five minutes, which saw them snap up two goals, the second of these coming two minutes short of full-time.

Kinawley will be disappointed that they allowed this one to slip away from them for they had shaped up as the better side for practically all of the contest.

They had been defensively very good in the first half, restricting Belnaleck to two Joseph Heavey pointed frees. At the other end of the park, the Kinawley attack had collected a four point tally, Sean Hussey, Sean Crudden and John McHugh the marksmen, but the important score had been a 20th minute goal from McHugh.

On the resumption, it was still Kinawley who were calling the shots though there were now signs that Belnaleck were at last coming more into the game. Kinawley had second half points from Simon Corrigan, Sean Crudden, John McHugh and Sean Hussey.

An injury to the latter was to cause a lengthy delay in the middle stages of the half.

Still well clear, however, Kinawley looked to be home and dry but then suffered a sudden collapse. They were unhinged by a Belnaleck goal, a shot coming back off a defender and the ball spilled to Eamon Brogan who put away the opportunity.

This score gave Belnaleck extra impetus and they pressed hard to bridge the deficit and their resolve was rewarded when Brogan was on the spot again to race through a tiring Kinawley rearguard to slam home the levelling score.

For Kinawley, full-back Gabriel McHugh was always a formidable figure with John McHugh doing well in the forward line.