MC GUIGAN BUILDERS INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.
Currin 3-13, Drumhowan 2-5.
Currin experience little difficulty in getting over the challenge of a somewhat out of sorts and under strength Drumhowan in this fairly low key affair that was played in somewhat greasy conditions in Clones on Sunday evening last. With Conor and Ciaran McCaffrey anchoring the Currin defence and Dick Clerkin by and large dictating matters in midfield Currin also had strengthen in their attack with Stephen Smyth, Jack McCarron and Philip O’Callaghan registering 2-10 of their total and causing the Drumhowan defence repeated problems. That said though Currin were a little casual at times and conceded possession rather easily on a number of occasions as well as missing a number of scoring opportunities that saw them hit 10 wides in all, six in the first half. Currin were only headed once in the entire contest and that in the opening minute when Kieran McElroy pointed for Drumhowan. Currin led at half-time by 1-6 to 1-2, both goals coming from penalties and they went on to consolidate in the opening six or seven minutes of the second-half when they extended their lead to eight points. Drumhowan to their credit stuck manfully to the task but further goals for Currin in the 12th and 18th minutes of the second half turned into quite a one-way affair with Drumhowan registering a late consolation goal but it really only served to put a degree of respectability on the scoreboard.
Following Drumhowan’s opener Currin equalised through a Stephen Smyth free in the second minute and then the same player gave Currin the lead from a free a minute later. David Millar hauled Drumhowan level in the fourth minute but Currin responded with a point from Niall McEntee and then Jack McCarron earned a penalty which he himself dispatched to the Drumhowan net for a four points lead after nine minutes. The onset of rain made handling and footwork that bit more difficult although it wasn’t entirely responsible for a series of missed opportunities by both sides before Currin registered another score through Niall McEntee in the 20th minute for a five points lead. Points by Stephen Smyth in the 22nd minute and Jack McCarron in the 23rd had them seven points in front at that stage but they were then hit with a goal from a penalty for Drumhowan when Niall Mooney was hauled down and Colm Lambe dispatched the spot kick to reduce the deficit to four and that margin still separated them at the break with the half-time score at Currin 1-6, Drumhowan 1-2.
Currin put in a storming start to the second-half with Philip O’Callaghan registering a point within 25 seconds and they went on to hit three more without reply from a Jack McCarron free in the third minute, Philip O’Callaghan with his second in the sixth minute and Dick Clerkin with a good finish in the seventh minute for an eight points lead. It wasn’t all one-way traffic though and Fergal Connolly came to his side’s rescue in the ninth minute but back came Drumhowan for a point by Anthony Mulligan a minute later when he was placed from a quick free by David Millar to reduce the deficit to seven. Thoughts of a Drumhowan revival though suffered a setback as Currin registered a goal and a point inside two minutes, Philip O’Callaghan was the point in the 11th minute, Francis O’Callaghan the provider, and then Stephen Smyth getting the vital touch in a goalmouth scramble for Currin’s second goal to put them 11 points in front approaching the end of the third quarter. Drumhowan pulled back a point through Kieran Mooney but Currin came back again for another goal and a point inside two minutes, Philip O’Callaghan at the end of a good move for the point and then Stephen Smyth turning provider for Dick Clerkin who sidestepped two defenders and applied a good finish to the bottom right-hand corner of Enda Duffy’s net to put Currin 14 points in front. An exchange of points between David Millar in the 20th minute and Jack McCarron from a ‘45 in the 22nd minute kept the scoreboard ticking over but the game was now being played at walking pace and the final score came with six minutes of normal time remaining when Kieran McElroy was fouled and Colm Lambe dispatched the resulting free to the Currin net. The final minutes saw Drumhowan continue to look for openings and Currin too were off target on a couple of occasions although keeper Fergal Connolly had come to their rescue again when Drumhowan substitute Ciaran Duffy pulled on a loose ball in the Currin area but even a goal at that stage would have made no difference to the outcome with Currin 11 points to the good at the final whistle.
Teams and Scorers: Currin: Fergal Connolly, Sean Brady, Conor McCaffrey, Enda McCaffrey, Ben Clerkin, Ciaran McCaffrey, Gerard O’Callaghan, Dick Clerkin 1-1, Francis O’Callaghan, Steven Beattie, Stephen Smyth 1-3 (0-2f)Niall McEntee 0-2, Kierans Kierans, Jack McCarron 1-3 (1-0p, 0-2f), Philip O’Callaghan 0-4. Subs: Darragh Brady for D Clerkin, Shane O’Connor for J McCarron.
Drumhowan: Enda Duffy, Niall Mooney, Martin McElroy, Dermot Mooney, Aidan Quinn, Liam McGuirk, Patrick Mulligan, John Paul O’Neill, Anthony Mulligan 0-1, Michael Atkinson, Kieran McElroy 0-1, Ciaran Deery, Kieran Mooney 0-1, David Millar 0-1, Colm Lambe 2-0 (1-0f, !-0p). Subs: Darren Duffy for M McElroy, Conor Duffy for D Mooney, Ciaran Duffy for M Atkinson, Mark McCabe for C Deery, Cathal Deery for P Mulligan. Referee: Gerry McCarron (Emyvale).
