MC GUIGAN BUILDERS INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.
Drumhowan 3-12, Aughnamullen 1-11.
Drumhowan struck late and decisively to wrap up victory and a place in the semi finals of the intermediate football championship at the expense of an Aughnamullen side who for quite a time in this game looked as if they could take the result. Played at a cracking pace throughout this was a most entertaining encounter between two sides that were very evenly matched for practically the entire hour until Drumhowan fashioned that winning finish with a goal and three points without reply in the final nine minutes as they exploited a touch of hesitancy in the Aughnamullen defence with the game and delicately poised with just one point between the sides going into the final 10 minutes of normal time. Dermot McDermott was a very dominant character for Drumhowan in the first half winning vital possession repeatedly in midfield with James McElroy always a threat up front and while he did not get on the scoreboard he had a hand in a lot of what Drumhowan achieved going forward. He was later switched to midfield where he continued to win vital possession as well as interrupting a number of Aughnamullen attacks. David Millar proved executioner in chief with a goal for Drumhowan in the 15th minute of the second-half to put them in the lead for the first time and they pushed on from there to record a memorable victory with an injury time goal by substitute Christopher McGinnity making it look perhaps a little easier than it actually was. For Aughnamullen this was a game where they enjoyed the perfect start with a goal from a penalty inside the opening minute and they repeatedly had Drumhowan in trouble but ultimately their finishing let them down with 8 wides in the second-half, as against noen in the first, telling it’s own story. Colm Flanagan at full-back used his experience to good effect and got great support from Lee Conlon and Sam Dooney although they lost the services of Damien Hamilton early on through injury. Thomas Hughes and Mark Meegan worked tirelessly in midfield but Aughnamullen tended to squander hard-won possession too easily at times. Up-front Pete Dooney was a real scourge to the Drumhowan defence especially in the first half when he not only tucked away the penalty expertly but had a hand in a number of scores that always gave Aughnamullen that little edge. Aidan Flanagan led the attack superbly on the ‘40 with good support from Eddie McArdle and Sean Sheridan. The game was only 15 seconds old when long ball in by Mark Meegan was won by Pete Dooney who released Lauren Ward but he was upended by Liam McGuirk and Dooney tucked away the penalty with aplomb, the kick delayed by almost a minute due to the fact that the Drumhowan keeper Enda Duffy had to change his jersey. Drumhowan responded with points by Ciaran Mooney and a Colm Lambe free but Aughnamullen then struck for a brace from Aidan Flanagan and Sean Sheridan to lead by three after eight minutes. By the 15th minute Drumhowan were back on level terms with two points from frees by Colm Lambe and a great opportunist score by Stephen McGinnity when he intercepted a pass in the Aughnamullen defence. In response Aughnamullen rallied for points by Eddie McArdle in the 19th minute after a good counter attack, Mickey Keenan the 21st and Sean Sheridan in the 22nd when he was placed with a quick free by Pete Dooney to re-take a three points lead. By the half way stage though Drumhowan were back on level terms with points by David Millar the 23rd minute, Ciaran Mooney with his second in the 32nd minute and a great score by Dermot McDermott three minutes into stoppage time to leave the half-time score Aughnamullen 1-5, Drumhowan 0-8.
Aughnamullen started off the second-half with purpose but were off target from a free before Eddie McArdle was to restore them to the lead with a point from a free in the third minute following a foul on Pete Dooney. Drumhowan equalised through Darren Duffy in the fifth minute without Aughnamullen then re-taking the lead again through Pete Dooney with a brilliant individual score in the sixth minute. Another promising Aughnamullen attack was broken up in the 8th minute with Drumhowan countering quickly and Ciaran Mooney rifling to the net to put Drumhowan in front for the first time in the game. Their lead was short-lived however with Aughnamullen retaking the lead in the 14th minute with points by Sean Sheridan, Eddie McArdle and a well struck long-range free by Mark Meegan. All that good work however was undone in the 15th minute when a long ball in from Darren Duffy led to a mix-up in the Aughnamullen defence and David Millar pounced for a goal to give Drumhowan a lead they never subsequently relinquished. Mark Meegan lifted Aughnamullen momentarily with a great point in the 20th minute but they were not to score again despite a number of chances while Drumhowan capitalised that much more efficiently to strike for points by Colm Lambe from a free in the 21st minute, David Millar in the 24th, when he was well placed from a free by James McElroy, Millar again in the 25th, Colm Lambe the provider, and the icing on the cake from substitute Christopher McGinnity when he capitalised on another mix-up in the Aughnamullen defence to rifle home from close range to leave seven points between the sides at the long whistle.
Teams and Scorers: Drumhowan: Enda Duffy, Damien Mooney, Liam McGuirk, Martin McElroy, Kieran Mooney 1-2, Darren Duffy 0-1, Damien Duffy, Enda McElroy, Dermot McDermott 0-1, Colm Lambe 0-4 (4f), Kieran McElroy, Niall Mooney, Stephen McGinnity 0-1, James McElroy, David Millar 1-2. Subs: Michael Mooney for E McElroy, Anthony Mulligan for D Mooney, Christopher McGinnity 1-0 for K McElroy, Kieran Deery for D Millar.
Aughnamullen: Alan Gilliland, Stephen Ward, Colm Flanagan, Damien Hamilton, Thomas Finnegan, Lee Conlon, San Dooney, Thomas Hughes, Mark Meegan 0-2 (1f), Eddie McArdle 0-3 (1f), Aidan Flanagan 0-1, Mickey Keenan 0-1, Pete Dooney 1-1 (1-0p), Lauren Ward, Sean Sheridan 0-3. Subs: Brian McConnell for D Hamilton. Referee: Sean Gilsenan (Donaghmoyne).
