MC GUIGAN BUILDERS INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.
Rockcorry 0-10, Drumhowan 0-5.
Rockcorry are safely through to the semi-final of the intermediate football championship after proving too strong and too versatile for Drumhowan in this always interesting if never spectacular game that was played in blustery and even wintry conditions in Aughnamullen on Sunday evening last. The result is another disappointing chapter in what is proving to be a difficult season for Drumhowan who now exit the series and all their energies will now be concentrated on trying to retain intermediate status. Rockcorry were never headed in the entire contest and laid the foundations for victory with a strong second quarter during which they built up a six points half-time lead. They had to withstand a spirited response from Drumhowan in the third quarter though and at one stage they got the margin down to three points but Rockcorry responded with two points in the 15th and 17th minutes and then consolidated for victory in what turned out to be an exercise in containment in a scoreless final 13 minutes. Rockcorry though will be well aware of the fact that they will have to improve on their finishing as they hit 12 wides in all, 8 in the second half although the strong wind did affect some of those efforts. Conditions were far from ideal with a difficult wind and a greasy surface but the conditions alone were not responsible for a series of errors by both sides and there also tended to be an over indulgence in short passing and at times players appearing to prefer to pass as opposed to going for a score. Rockcorry were forced to make a number of changes before the start but their re-jigged line up got down to business right away to open the scoring with a point by Fergal McGeough in the opening minute, Stephen McGuirk the provider. The early indications of a close contest were evident when Kieran Mooney equalised for Drumhowan two minutes later at the end of counter attack that started and when a Rockcorry passing movement was broken up. Mark Daly restored Rockcorry to lead with a point from a free in the fifth minute and they carved out a clear goal chance a minute later but Keelan Clerkin blasted across the mouth of the Drumhowan goals. Stephen McGuirk pointed a free in the seventh minute for a foul on Gary Calvert to put Rockcorry two points in front after seven minutes and shortly after that they again carved out what looked a good chance of the goal but Noel Carroll was off target. Paul McKeown finished off a good move involving Fergal McGeough and Gary Calvert in the 14th minute to put his side three points in front but two minutes later Dermot McDermott finished off a well worked score for Drumhowan to reduce the margin to two. In the following three minutes Drumhowan had two chances that could have seen them draw level but one dropped short to the Rockcorry keeper and the other was off target while another attack faltered and Rockcorry came on the counter for Paul McKeown to put them three points in front for the second time. A second point by Stephen McGuirk, also from a free, in the 23rd minute put Rockcorry four in front with Drumhowan again squandering a couple of chances, both from frees, although one was a long-range effort from Dermot McDermott, before Rockcorry closed out the first half with two excellent points by Fergal McGeough, Mark Daly and Gary Calvert along with Noel Carroll involved in creating both chances, to leave six points between the sides at the break, Rockcorry 0-8, Drumhowan 0-2.
Rockcorry may have had the first attack of the second-half but in the opening ten minutes they came under sustained Drumhowan pressure as well as seeing a number of efforts by themselves either failing to find the range or players just taking the wrong option. Kevin Mooney pulled back a point for Drumhowan in the second minute to reduce the margin to five with both sides then off target before Liam McGuirk brought the margin down to four in the fourth minute after a strong run by Dermot McDermott. Rockcorry lifted the siege briefly between the fifth and seventh minutes but two further chances went a begging while at the other end of the field they had a lucky let off when a centre from a free was mishandled by the Rockcorry keeper but he recovered in time to scoop the ball off the line. Darren Duffy carried the game single-handedly to Rockcorry in the 10th minute for an excellent point to reduce the margin to three but that was as good as it got for Drumhowan with Rockcorry reasserting themselves to earn two frees in the 15th and 17th minutes, the first for a foul on Paul McKeown and the second for a foul on Noel Carroll, that effort made easier by being move for dissent, and both converted by Mark Daly to give Rockcorry a five points lead entering the final quarter. No further scores were to accrue to either side with both squandering chances and Rockcorry called on to do some last-ditch defending as Drumhowan tried everything to pull the game out of the fire but on balance Rockcorry were the better side over the 60 odd minutes and deservedly go through.
Teams and Scorers: Rockcorry: Jamie Smith, Owen Fitzpatrick, Damien Matthews, Colin Reilly, Stephen McGuirk 0-2 (2f0, Barry Patterson, Keelan Clerkin, Mark Daly 0-3 (3f), Martin Carroll, Fergal McGeough 0-3, Gary Calvert, Noel Carroll, Dwayne Rooney, Niall McKeown, Paul McKeown 0-2. Subs: Colin Quinn for F McGeough, Lorcan Smyth for M Carroll, Pauric Reilly for C Reilly.
Drumhowan: Enda Duffy, Dermot Mooney, Patrick Duffy, Mark O’Neill, Darren Duffy 0-1, Niall Mooney, Damien Mooney, Anthony Mulligan, Dermot McDermott 0-1, Damien Duffy, Kevin Mooney 0-1, Christopher McGinnity, Patrick Mulligan, Liam McGuirk 0-1, Kieran Mooney 0-1. Subs: John Paul O’Neill for Dermot Mooney.
Referee: Sean Gilsenan (Donaghmoyne).
